This document discusses recommendations from the Greater Ohio Policy Center to help restore prosperity to Springfield, Ohio by transitioning to the next economy. It identifies Springfield's strengths in areas like education, infrastructure, and quality places. Recommendations include building on assets like innovation, human capital, and infrastructure through policies around advanced manufacturing, workforce training, and transportation funding. Governance reforms aim to encourage regionalism and collaboration. Engaging the federal government could help Ohio cities compete for funds and shape policy to support transitioning communities. Pilot projects and partnerships will help implement the recommendations.

1. Dawn Larzelere
November 18, 2010
Greater Ohio Policy Center
Restoring Prosperity to
Springfield

2. Greater Ohio Policy Center
• Ohio’s “smart growth” organization
• Promote – through research, public education
and grassroots advocacy – public policy to
grow Ohio’s economy and improve the quality
of life through intelligent land use
• Non-partisan, non-profit, foundation-funded

3. Background to Restoring Prosperity
3 year partnership

5. Restoring Prosperity’s Findings
• Ohio and Springfield Can Compete in the “next
economy”
– Driven by lower-carbon energy sources
– Export-oriented
– Innovation-led
• Metropolitan regions, which fully encompass urban,
suburban and rural, and their assets will drive the
next economy.

6. Ohio and the Next Economy
Found that Ohio has emerging or existing
strengths in each of these hallmarks

7. Data Shows Ohio is Metro-led
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Metro vs. Non-Metro Shares
Metro
Non-Metro
State Population Jobs in Ohio State GDP

8. Springfield is Metro-led

9. Springfield has a large role in
regional economies

10. Status Quo will Undercut Ohio’s
Economic Competitiveness
• Ohio can compete but must make significant changes
• The fiscal and housing crises of the Great Recession
have been a wakeup call to state and local leaders
• They have led to unparalleled opportunity to press
for transformative state-level actions our cities need
• Time to Act is Now

11. Restoring Prosperity:
Transition to the Next Economy
1. Build on prosperity driving assets that
concentrate in metropolitan areas
-Innovation
-Human Capitol
-Infrastructure
-Quality Places
2. Transform governance while encouraging
regionalism
3. Engage Federal Government

12. Restoring Prosperity Agenda
• 39 policy recommendations as a blueprint
to catalyze Ohio’s transition:
– 16 focusing on building on metro assets
– 13 focusing on state and local governance
reform/regionalism
– 10 Focusing on engaging federal government

13. Build on Assets: Innovation
Springfield Region’s strengths:
• Food distribution
• Insurance
• Support services
• Manufacturing
• Technology and Aerospace
• Easy access to other major markets

14. Build on Assets: Innovation
Recommendations
– Significantly expand the state advanced
manufacturing network
– Create micro-investment funds
– Find creative funding for innovation-based
economic development

15. Build on Assets: Human Capital
Springfield’s Strength:
• 80 colleges, universities and institutes
within a 90 minute (70 mile) drive of
Springfield with 280,000 students.

16. Build on Assets: Human Capital
Recommendations
– Support Workforce Intermediaries across the state
to better link workforce training and employers
– Raise the number of Ohioans earning non-degree
workforce certificates
– Retain graduates or attract them back

17. Build on Assets: Infrastructure
Springfield Region’s Strength:
• Interstate 70 and proximity to I-75
• State Route 40 and 68
• Springfield-Beckley
Airport
• Valuable Water
Source

18. Housing Cost -% to income Housing & Transportation -% to
income
Data Not Available
Less than 30%
30% and Greater
Data Not Available
Less than 45%
45% and Greater

19. Build on Assets: Infrastructure
Recommendations
– Change infrastructure funding to allow all modes
of transportation more equity in financing;
consider using a return on investment model
– Elevate “Fix it First” as central principle guiding
investment decisions in highway spending

20. Build on Assets: Quality Places
Springfield Region’s Strengths:
• Mad River
• Historic Places such as Westcott House
• New Regional Medical Center
• Springfield Center City
Association
• Turner Foundation

21. Build on Assets: Quality Places

22. Build on Assets: Quality Places
Recommendations
– Anchor Institution Innovation Zone
– Modernize Ohio’s planning statutes
– Targeted neighborhood revitalization strategies
– Foreclosure prevention and correction package

23. Governance Reform
Recommendations (Local Government)
– Create a commission to study costs of local government
and realign state and local funding
– Change state law to make local tax sharing permissive
– Support creation of regional business plans
– Incent government collaboration

24. Governance Reform
Recommendations (School Districts)
– Make costs of school district administration
transparent through publication in the district’s
Report Card.
– Push school districts to enter more aggressive
shared services agreements
– Cut the number of Ohio’s school districts

25. Governance Reform
Recommendations (State Government)
– Align state programs to reinforce state and local
investments
– Create Community Development Action Teams(CDAT)
– Align state economic development programs with metro
boundaries

26. Engage the Federal Government:
Shape approach to Ohio
Shape federal policymakers approach to Ohio
– Redefine Sustainability: Put unique needs of
places not growing on the sustainability agenda
– Support a cross-agency policy agenda to assist
auto communities

27. Engage the Federal Government:
Compete for Federal Funds
Position Ohio Cities to Compete for Federal
Funds
– Take advantage of federal support for business
clusters
– Funding likely to have a more regional bias, so
develop regional partnerships now to be ready

28. Moving from Recommendations to
Action

29. Define Organization’s Role in the
Implementation Process
Greater Ohio Policy Center:
• Act as an intermediary between state and local policy
• Provide capacity-building and technical assistance
• Pilot projects corresponding with Restoring Prosperity
recommendations
• Utilize existing and identify new strategic partnerships

30. Use Early Success to Demonstrate Connection
between State Policy and Local Action
Land Bank Bill:
• Allows additional 41 counties to
create a land bank
• Local tool to manage blight and
engage in comprehensive land
reconfiguration
• Cuyahoga County Land Bank has
acquired over 200 properties since
its creation
• Lucas County and Trumbull County
have launched county land banks as
well.
Picture: Green City Blue Lake

31. Implementing Recommendations
Sustainable Reinvestment Pilot Track
• Urban Waterfronts
• Signature Parks
• Wind and Solar
Third Frontier
• Ballot issue passed in May

32. Ways to stay involved
Check out our website: http://greaterohio.org/
Join our Greater Ohio Supporters database to get our electronic newsletters,
Calls to Action, and other timely information.
Follow our Greater Ohio blog
Follow us on Twitter:
@GreaterOhio
@GO_DawnL
@GO_GeneK
Become a fan of Greater Ohio Policy Center on Facebook

33. Contact Us
Dawn Larzelere, Associate Director
dlarzelere@greaterohio.org
(614) 224-0187
www.greaterohio.org

34. Rural-Urban Linkages
• Urban-metropolitan-rural economies linked
– Commuting patterns
– Employment
– Recreation activities
• Majority of Ohioans derive their livelihood
from urban areas
– Direct incomes or spinoffs