Check out this blog post from UrbanCincy detailing efforts in Hamilton County to form a county land bank. This process of bringing together government leaders, nonprofits and other interested parties is being repeated across the state as counties attempt to answer the questions of if they should form a county land bank and then determine how to best fund and operate one. As communities have these conversations, we welcome them to use Greater Ohio Policy Center as a resource.
Columbus Neighborhood Targeted to Become Urban Food Campus
The Columbus Dispatch reported today that the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission was awarded an $864,989 federal grant from HUD to revitalize Columbus' Weinland Park community with a year-round farmers market, dozens of community gardens and a restaurant selling locally produced food. The area could also be home to a food-processing center and business incubator. This would be a unique approach to urban redevelopment for its food-production system based approach.
It’s great to see increased investments in our core cities and neighboring communities, especially an innovative project like this one. The vision to create a “neighborhood food campus” is a creative solution to repurposing the vacant land in the neighborhood. This is also a much needed improvement because Weinland Park is a food desert with limited access to fresh produce. The plans should be completed by 2012, and we look forward to seeing this project progress.
The Dispatch on Governance Reform
By Gene Krebs. It is really fantastic that the Columbus Dispatch is following the story Greater Ohio has been advocating for the past several years; that of governance reform. The state’s budget problem is huge and local governance reform is an important piece of the solution. The frame we often use for local government reform is that if Ohio were a house, we have built the house so that every bedroom has its own fully equipped and stocked private kitchen. In addition, we do not even shop for food at Costco or Sam’s; we instead shop at the local convenience store and buy our milk in half pints, twenty at a time. This grand expenditure of taxpayer money is perhaps one of the reasons why Ohio is struggling to compete.
“Plugging the hole” – four of Ohio’s best budget brains discuss the state’s next two-year budget
“Candidates agree: too much government” – 20th House District candidates consider local government changes
“Ohioans need to hear the truth about cost of their government” – Joe Hallett’s editorial about consolidating local government
The Dispatch has been taking a lead on this policy story, and we hope that other papers around Ohio start covering this topic. Please contact your paper and urge them to explore how their tax dollars are being wasted. Flushed. Gone down the tubes. Up in smoke. You pick a cliché. Heavens knows there are more.
Shaping the State
Overview of Key Demographic Trends Facing Ohio and Implications for Policy-making and Ohio's Future Competitiveness
Greater Ohio Policy Center conducted this comparative analysis of demographic trends in Ohio, its metros and the nation from 2000 to 2008. The analysis builds on the national trends articulated in the Brookings Institution’s State of Metropolitan America report : State of Metropolitan America: On the Front Lines of Demographic Transformation.
These trends have critical implications for the future of our state and it is our contention that they should guide future policy-making aimed at positioning Ohio to compete successfully in the next economy, which will be low-carbon, export-oriented, metropolitan-lead, and innovation-driven and is discussed in more detail in our recent report Restoring Prosperity: Transforming Ohio Communities for the Next Economy.
To see detailed data analysis on a specific demographic trend either click on the relevant anaylsis listed below or use the hyperlinks in the table above.
Central Ohio Car Free Day
Today is Central Ohio Car Free Day. Visit the website to take the pledge and learn more about transportation alternatives. This is a great reminder that there are other forms of transportation that we should consider and support in Ohio. The main message is that just for one day we should consider our alternatives. This also coincides with PARK(ing) Day which is a global event where citizens, artists and activists collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spaces into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public places. The mission of PARK(ing) Day is to call attention to the need for more urban open space, to generate critical debate around how public space is created and allocated, and to improve the quality of urban human habitat.
We hope you will be able to participate in both events. If so, please share your stories about your commute or your PARK(ing) spots.
Third Round of NSP Funding
By Zach Crafton. Last week, I attended an announcement for the third round of funding for HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The event was held at a home, in Cleveland’s Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood, that was rehabbed with the aid of stabilization money from the program’s previous round of funding.
The Neighborhood Stabilization Program provides emergency assistance to state and local governments to purchase, redevelop, and/or demolish foreclosed homes. With this latest round of funding, Ohio and its municipalities are set to receive nearly $52 million to help reverse the negative impacts the foreclosure crisis has had on the state and its communities.
The event brought together officials from federal, state and local governments – including Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, representatives of Senator Sherrod Brown, Ohio Department of Development Director, Lisa Patt-McDaniel, and the City of Cleveland Mayor, Frank Jackson – to announce Cleveland’s award. Officials spoke about the city’s strategic use of program funds to rehab and demolish foreclosed homes in order to protect and enhance the vitality of Cleveland neighborhoods, and how this latest round of funding is intended to further support these efforts in Ohio.
For more information about the program and Ohio awardees see here.
Dayton Urban Nights: Sept 10, 2010!
Walk on downtown Dayton's creative side! Tomorrow night is Dayton's fall Urban Nights. It takes place Friday, September 10 from 5 to 10 p.m. More than 30,000 people are expected to pack the streets, so come join the fun and experience the downtown! If you're in Dayton tomorrow, check it out!
What is Urban Nights?
Urban Nights is a free event that showcases downtown's dining, nightlife, art, music, retail, urban living options and more twice a year - once in the spring and once in the fall. The event has been described as a huge, all-inclusive street party and open house for downtown, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Businesses and restaurants offer special discounts, artists and galleries open their doors to the public, musicians and entertainers of all kinds perform throughout the center city, and downtown's most impressive urban living options are open for tours. More than 100 creative places and spaces are part of the event, including locations throughout downtown, the Oregon Arts District and the Wright-Dunbar Business Village.
Visit Dayton Urban Night's website for more information.
Greater Ohio Calls Commission on Local Government Reform Report a Modest First Step
More reform, action still needed to prepare Ohio for the competitive Next Economy Greater Ohio Policy Center called a draft report, which was unanimously approved at a meeting of the Ohio Commission on Local Government Reform and Collaboration Friday, a modest first step toward increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of local government and fostering economic development in Ohio, but called for government leaders to quickly build upon the commission’s efforts. Today is the statutory deadline for the commission to issue its final report, the culmination of 19 months of work to develop recommendations to increase the efficiency of local government, achieve cost savings for taxpayers and promote economic development.
“The report and its recommendations are a step in the right direction, but the pending state budgetary crisis makes real local government reform all the more urgent, as the gap between costs and revenues on the local level continues to widen with reduced ability for the state to make up these differences,” said Greater Ohio’s Executive Director Lavea Brachman. “To avoid crippling budget cuts in the next state budget and make Ohio economically competitive, local government must become more attentive to reducing costs through collaboration and consolidation. The commission’s recommendations are not the bold action steps required under the current dire fiscal and economic conditions.”
These issues require long-term attention, and, as a logical next step, Greater Ohio calls for the creation of a permanent, intergovernmental, collaborative body responsible for continuing the work of the current commission. To read more, see Greater Ohio's press release posted on our website.
Lucas County Land Bank is Approved
Lucas County Commissioners yesterday unanimously approved the creation of the state's second county land bank. The new non-profit entity is expected to start acquiring properties in the coming weeks, and we at Greater Ohio look forward to following its progress. For information about the recent decision, check out today's Toledo Blade article.
Creation of Lucas County Land Bank Nears Critical Vote
Lucas County Treasurer Wade Kapszukiewicz is preparing to go before the Lucas County Commission today to ask for formal approval to form a county land bank. If approved, Lucas County will be the first county that has sought such approval since this authority was expanded to an additional 41 counties earlier this year. Check out this article from The Blade for more information.