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Opportunities for Legacy Cities: Transforming Ohio’s Cities and Neighborhoods
Alison D. GoebelAssociate DirectorGreater Ohio Policy Center
About Greater Ohio Policy CenterA outcome-oriented statewide non-profit that champions revitalization and sustainable redevelopment in Ohio:
•Revitalize Ohio’s urban cores and metropolitan regions
•Achieve sustainable land reuse and economic growth
Why Do Cities Matter
Ohio’s metros are the economic drivers of our state and the key engines are our urban cores.
Clockwise: Piqua; Mansfield; Cincinnati
Defining Legacy Cities
Changes Impacting Legacy Cities
• Suburbanization• Regional migration• Loss of central
functions• Deindustrialization• Job loss
• Unemployment• Impoverishment • Weak market
demand• Physical decline• Vacancy and
abandonment• Fiscal incapacity• Deteriorating public
services
Several Challenges
There has been overall population loss in Ohio’s large legacy cities
And population loss in Ohio’s smaller legacy cities
Millennials have the potential to change the equation in Ohio’s larger cities
And in Ohio’s smaller legacy cities
Nationally, legacy city population growth is largely driven by millennials
Opportunities to leverage and attract residents
• Some legacy cities are attracting increasing numbers of Millennials
• Ohio’s cities will need to do more to attract this population in order to compete
• What still needs to be done?
What can we learn from cities that are rebounding faster?
Photos clockwise: Baltimore, Philadelphia, Cincinnati
Guiding Principle:Strategic Incrementalism
Piqua, Ohio from growpiquanow.org
“Strategic incrementalism begins with leaders sharing a vision of the city’s future and then making incremental, tactical decisions that will transform the status quo, while avoiding grandiose and unrealistic plans.”
Leverage assets: strategies that are making an impact
Target resources in viable neighborhoods
Focus on rebuilding the downtown
Leverage economic assets to build competitive advantages
Repurpose vacant land for new uses
Target Resources in Viable Neighborhoods: Maximize impact of available scarce resources
Over-the-RhineCincinnati, Ohio
Slavic VillageCleveland, OhioGreen and Gold Asset and Place-
Based Investment StrategyDayton, Ohio
Focus on rebuilding the downtown
Washington Avenue
Downtown St Louis, MO
Support downtown living and leisure
Downtown Living in Marion, OhioPhoto from http://www.loisfisher.com/lofts.htm
Leverage economic assets to build competitive advantages
Colleges and universitiesHospitals and medical
centersManufacturing
companiesDowntown employment
baseArts, cultural, and
entertainment facilities and activities
Springfield Regional MedicalFrom http://www.community-mercy.org/springfield_regional_medical_center.asp
Re-purpose vacant land for new uses
- Alternative/green uses- Brownfields to
productive reuses- Land banks hold
properties and clear delinquent taxes, liens
Critical Challenges to the Ability of Legacy Cities to sustainably rebound
Equity
Adequately leveraging the region
Rising legacy costs, declining tax base
Aging infrastructure
Encouraging state policy tools
Brownfields Clean up fund (grants/loans)
Land banks
Expedited foreclosure
New Market Tax Credits/State historic tax credits
Third Frontier
Critical Next Strategies: Strategic Incrementalism for Ohio’s legacy cities
Look beyond jurisdictional boundaries maximize resources and identify new markets
Create multi-faceted public/private partnerships capable of driving sustained regeneration
Build effective ties between cities and their regions to foster stronger economic growth for both
Critical Next Strategies: Strategic Incrementalism for Ohio’s legacy cities
Requires a coherent vision of the future. Clear long-term goals grounded in small, but achievable steps
Small, medium, and large sized cities have unique assets that appeal to new generations
Be creative in identifying assets in your community and leverage them
Contact information
Alison D. Goebel, Associate DirectorGreater Ohio Policy Center
[email protected]@alisongoebelOH
www.greaterohio.org@greaterohio614-224-0187
