​Greater Ohio Policy Center presents​...

Ohio's Brownfields: Catalysts for Neighborhood Rebirth (Tues. 3/7, 10am) 

 

The remediation of land previously used for industrial purposes, known as brownfields, has turned former liabilities into economic development assets and helped local governments avoid the high cost of developing new infrastructure for greenfield sites.  Brownfield redevelopment has brought jobs back to communities with high unemployment and made Ohio’s neighborhoods more attractive and walkable – key attributes desirable to new generations of homeowners, families, and taxpayers.  Despite the upturn in the real estate market in some places, brownfield redevelopment remains expensive and difficult.  Additionally, State support for brownfield redevelopment is not as generous as it once was. With over 10,000 brownfields located throughout Ohio, communities will need a diverse set of tools in order to effectively leverage these untapped assets for economic development. Panelists will discuss ways to improve state and federal policy in this area, as well as creative locally-driven solutions that show promise. 

​

​

​

Bouncing Back: Revitalization in Ohio’s Small and Medium-Sized Legacy Cities (Tues. 3/7, 10am)

​

The need for urban revitalization is not limited to Ohio’s 3Cs – Ohio has dozens of post-industrial cities that account for over one third of the state’s population and a third of the state’s Gross Domestic Product.  These places, Ohio’s small and mid-sized legacy cities, were hit especially hard by the Great Recession, which compounded decades of economic and population decline. Despite these challenges, leaders and residents have taken creative and strategic risks that are resulting in rebounding downtowns, stabilized neighborhoods, and new opportunities for residents.  This session will feature replicable examples from cities that have leveraged local assets to revitalize and will explore the many opportunities facing small- and medium-sized legacy cities in Ohio.

​

​

​

How Do We Build the Right Mix of Housing for Ohio’s Cities? (Tues. 3/7, 1:15pm)

​

In light of changing demographics and shifting housing preferences, many of Ohio’s cities are facing questions about how to attract and retain a diverse set of residents in urban neighborhoods. As other cities of all sizes have shown, strong neighborhoods have housing options available for residents of different income-levels, ages, and lifestyles. Cities throughout Ohio are considering strategies for building and financing a complete range of housing types, yet as the housing market recovers unevenly, questions of preserving and creating appropriate housing for all Ohioans will become more urgent.

 

This session will feature communities that are pro-actively working to produce the right mix of housing necessary to accelerate and sustain an equitable and sustained recovery.  Panelists will discuss reforms to local government regulations and ordinances, public subsidies and quasi-private solutions that are rebuilding local markets, and strategies nonprofits, local governments, and developers can use to create inclusive neighborhoods of choice.  

​

​

​

Thinking Outside the Pipe: Modernizing Ohio’s Water Infrastructure (Tues. 3/7, 1:15pm)

​

Since the late 1990s, Ohio cities have invested billions of dollars to reduce combined sewer overflows in order to better protect water quality and human health.  At the same time, they are faced with the task of maintaining or replacing water infrastructure that is sometimes over 100 years old.  The cost of these and other challenges have led to a doubling of average user fees for water supply and wastewater treatment services over the last 20 years.  Most experts do not project trends in user charges will level off any time soon and in some cities, population loss is compounding challenges by shrinking the customer base and potential revenues even as capital investment needs grow. 

 

In order to deal with these challenges, cities have become more creative.  Many cities are turning to “green infrastructure” as a more cost-effective way to reduce stormwater runoff and also improve neighborhood quality of life.  Others are looking at regionalization and inter-system cooperation to achieve economies of scale and cost savings.  Panelists will explore changes in practice and policy that are leading to a new era of innovative approaches in Ohio. 

​

​

​

21st Century Strategies for Supporting Competitive Workforces and Regions (Tues. 3/7, 2:45pm)

​

In the 19th and 20th centuries, Ohio was one of the top destinations for people seeking jobs and security.  In the 21st century, Ohio’s communities, especially its older industrial cities are developing strategies to attract a new wave of residents and retain current residents.  Panelists will describe different initiatives underway in their region that are investing in people and the places where they live, work, and play.  The speakers will describe collective impact strategies and private-sector led efforts to attract, retain and grow a diverse workforce that includes first generation Americans, entrepreneurs and business owners of color, veterans, and people with disabilities.  These efforts are already measurably regrowing Ohio’s communities and are showing promising signs of regional momentum. 

​

​

​

Laying the Cornerstone for Growth: Municipal Budgets in Challenging Times (Tues. 3/7, 2:45pm)

​

A stable municipal budget is an essential foundation for successful stabilization and regrowth.  This session will examine steps municipalities have undertaken to maintain or regain financial strength in the face of tightening budgets.  In a moderated discussion, local civic leaders and a representative of the State Auditor’s office will discuss tradeoffs that cities have made in light of recent and longstanding fiscal challenges, and approaches communities have used to move back to fiscal health. Panelists will also discuss how citizen budget commissions and other initiatives can recommend paths forward and build consensus around tough budgeting decisions in an era of limited resources.

​

​

​

Neighborhood Bus Tour: The Impact of Housing Investments in Weinland Park (Tues. 3/7, 2:45pm)

​

Weinland Park, a neighborhood located between the Ohio State University and downtown Columbus, has experienced dramatic transformation in the last 15 years, moving from being one of the most distressed neighborhoods in Columbus to a national example of an inclusive, mixed-income community. This interactive bus tour and discussion will feature a variety of Weinland Park stakeholders—including the Columbus Foundation, The Ohio State University, a subsidized housing management company, and a private sector developer—who will discuss how long-term commitments and an infrastructure of cross sector partnerships has been integral to addressing the complex needs of Weinland Park. The tour will include a conversation on how housing managers have created safe and sustainable subsidized housing units, the role of strategic property acquisition by an anchor institution to support the re-introduction of market rate housing, and how resident engagement and housing advocates have ensured long-term residents are charting the neighborhood’s future.

​

​

​

Bus, Bike, or Walk: Achieving a Competitive and Cost-Effective Transportation System (Wed. 3/8, 10:15am)

 

Ohioans throughout the state want more transportation choices. As national studies demonstrate, investing in a robust system of buses, paratransit vans, roadways, sidewalks, and bikeways stimulates local and state economies. Despite the known economic benefits that multimodal options offer, state and local governments struggle to support a robust multimodal system because dollars available for transportation investments are limited.

 

This session will highlight current opportunities to improve Ohio’s multimodal system, including efforts to increase funding for public transit, strengthen programming for bike lanes and sidewalks, and strategies to reduce costs through inter-agency coordination and other strategies.  This session will occur in the midst of the 2017 ODOT Budget hearings and will incorporate a discussion of the latest decisions and observations from the Statehouse.

​

 

Financing Recovery in Ohio’s Neighborhoods: Emerging Partnership Models (Wed. 3/8, 10:15 am)

​

Ohio is home to dozens of neighborhoods that have the potential to become strong, inclusive communities of choice but are held back by the lack of access to adequate credit and capital for redevelopment or the capacity to strategically utilize those resources.  Community development corporations, and other neighborhood-focused nonprofits have long been on the front lines of neighborhood stabilization and regrowth, and many are now forming new partnerships to extend their impact and secure needed financing and resources to strengthen neighborhoods.  Panelists will discuss different strategies they have used and cross-sector partnerships that have successfully financed redevelopment.

​

​

 

Aggregating Ohio’s Strengths: Regional Economic Development Initiatives (Wed. 3/8, 11:30am)

​

Ohio is sometimes called a state of city-states, with strong regional identities built around shared industries and economies, commuting footprints, and cultural similarities. Such affinities can become the foundation for regional approaches to economic and community development.  As other states and countries have shown, regional development strategies often result in more competitive job markets and workforces and produce greater dividends for regional residents.  This panel will showcase efforts underway in Ohio to build and sustain regional economic development strategies that benefit urban cores, anchor cities, suburbs, ex-urbs, and nearby rural regions.  

​

​

 

Leveraging Neighborhood Assets: Schools as Keys to Community Stabilization and Regrowth (Wed. 3/8, 11:30am)

​

Schools play an important role in constructing a community’s image; great schools make great cities while struggling schools are often associated, rightly or wrongly, with struggling places. Because education is a leading factor in what motivates families’ decisions on where they settle, how can schools and neighborhood investments turn around negative perceptions and make a community a desirable place to live once more?  This panel will highlight communities in Ohio that are making neighborhood and school-based educational investments for comprehensive regrowth.

​