Keynote by Associate Director, Alison D Goebel, to the annual meeting of the Springfield Center City Association in 2014.

1.  
Alison D. Goebel, Associate Director of Greater Ohio Policy Center

2. An outcome-oriented
statewide non-profit
organization that champions
revitalization and sustainable
redevelopment in Ohio:
 Revitalize Ohio’s urban
cores and metropolitan
regions
 Achieve sustainable land
reuse and economic
growth

3. Urban regeneration
Sustainably revitalize
urban cores and
neighborhoods
Regional growth
Promote regional
economic development
and collaborative
governance structures
Transportation
Develop improved and
enhanced transportation
opportunities that reduce
carbon emissions

4.  Lived in Mansfield, Ohio for total of 22 months from
2005-2009
 PhD in cultural anthropology from University of Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign (2011)
 Published scholarly and general audience pieces on
smaller cities;
 Tweet about the Midwest, especially smaller city issues,
as @alisongoebelOH and sometimes as @greaterohio

6. • 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

7. The Central Challenges
Rebuilding
the city and
market
demand
Creating
new
economic
engines
Building
opportunity
for the
city’s
population

8. Ohio’s metros
are the economic
drivers of our
state and the key
engines to our
economy are our
urban cores.
Clockwise: Piqua; Mansfield; Cincinnati

9. -20%
-15%
-10%
-5%
0%
Flint,MI
Canton
Akron
Springfield
Baltimore,MD
Lima
Portsmouth
Mansfield
Ironton
Percent Change in Population from 2000 to 2010
% Change in
Population from
2000 to 2010
Source: GOPC with data from Census 2000 and 2010

10. 0.00%
2.00%
4.00%
6.00%
8.00%
10.00%
12.00%
14.00%
16.00%
18.00%
20.00%
Change in % of population between
ages 25 to 34
2000
2012
Ages 25 - 34
Source: GOPC with data from Census 2000 and ACS 5-year estimates 2008 -
2012

11. 0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
40.00%
45.00%
Percent of Population in Poverty, 2012
Percent Population
in Poverty
Source: GOPC with data from ACS 5-year estimates, 2008 - 2012

12. 0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
Housing Vacancy Rate, 2010
Housing Vacancy
Rate
Source: GOPC with data from Census 2010

13. 0.00%
1.00%
2.00%
3.00%
4.00%
5.00%
6.00%
7.00%
8.00%
9.00%
10.00%
Percent of Individuals age 16+ in the labor force who
are unemployed, 2012
Unemployment
Source: GOPC with data from ACS 5 – year estimates 2008 - 2012

14. Over the Rhine, Cincinnati ,Ohio

15. “Successful regeneration is not merely about
signature buildings or megaprojects.”
Rec #1

16. Rec #1
Piqua, Ohio
From http://www.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.”

17. Education Health Technology Sports
Tourism Manufacturing Food Arts & Culture
Rec #2

18. Firesale Warehouse and Code
Blue Office
Photos from Springfield News Sun
Food Distribution
Insurance
Support Services
Manufacturing
Technology and Aerospace
Easy access to other major
markets
Rec #2

19. 0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
Downtown Population Growth
2000 2010
Rec #3
Downtown Living in Marion, Ohio
Photo from http://www.loisfisher.com/lofts.htm

20. 0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Springfield Dayton
$500,000 +
$300,000 - $499,999
$200,000 - $299,999
$150,000 - $199,999
$100,000 - $149,999
$50,000 - $99,999
<$50,000
Fifth Street Brew Pub, Dayton Ohio
Photo from http://brewpubgifts.com/wp-
content/uploads/2012/10/fsb_garden.jpg
Rec #3

21. Rec #4
Streetscape improvements in Downtown
Springfield
Photo from http://www.center-city.org/sponsor-a-hanging-
flower-basket/
Improves property value
Promotes vibrant
community
Attracts business and
residents
Catalyst for cultural and
recreational activity

22. $145 million+ of public/private
downtown reinvestment
Reduction in downtown storefront
vacancies from 42 percent in 1987 to
6 percent in 2012.
165 interior/exterior building
renovations
145 net new businesses and 62
expansions of existing businesses
Events attracting more than 200,000
people to downtown each year Photo and statistics from
http://mainstreetwooster.org/
Rec #4

23. Rec #5a
Physical Assets
•Traditional
downtowns
•Stable
neighborhoods
•Water bodies
•Multimodal
transportation
networks Downtown Mansfield, Mansfield Ohio
from http://www.hivelocitymedia.com/cities/Mansfield/

24. Rec #5a
Springfield’s
Holiday in the
City
Photo from
www.center-city.org
Bike Trail in
Dayton
Photo from
www.miamivalleyt
rails.org

25. Frank Lloyd Wright Westcott House
Photo from Wikipedia
Rec #5b
Physical Assets
•Historic
buildings, areas,
and
neighborhoods
•Physical
legacies, such
as Olmsted
parks or art
museums

26. Revitalized more than
100,000 square feet of
vacant space for new uses
Contributed to job creation
Added 26 art galleries and
studios & 50 pieces of
public art to the area
Hosted nearly 80 monthly
First Friday celebrations
Rec #5b
Photo from https://www.artsinstark.com/smarts/teaching-
artists

27. Institutional and
Economic Assets
•Colleges and
universities
•Hospitals and medical
centers
•Manufacturing
companies
•Downtown
employment base
•Arts, cultural, and
entertainment
facilities and activities
Springfield Regional Medical
From http://www.community-
mercy.org/springfield_regional_medical_center.asp
Rec #5c

28. Wittenburg University
Photo from:
http://www5.wittenberg.edu/news/2013/03_01.html and
www.daytondailynews.com
Rec #5c

29. Rec # 5d
Leadership and Human
Capital Assets
• Local government
• Foundations
• Local corporations and
business communities
• Nonprofit
organizations
• Civic and advocacy
infrastructure
• Cohesive ethnic
communities
• Local skill sets
• Regional Growth Trumbull County Courthouse, Warren OH

30. Rec #6
Local
Government
Private and
Nonprofit
Sectors
Anchor
Institutions
Neighborhood
GroupsEmerging
High Tech
Sectors
Other
Jurisdictions
Other Levels
of
Government

31. Local
Government
Metropolitan
Planning
Organizations
Education
Service
Centers
County
Engineers
County
Executive or
County
Commissioners
Major cities
Rec #6

32. Rec #7
1. Toledo
2. Sandusky
3. Cleveland
Elyria
Lorain
4. Akron
5. Warren
Youngstown
6. Lima
7. Mansfield
8. Canton
9. Steubenville
10. Dayton
Piqua
11. Springfield
12. Columbus
Lancaster
Newark
13. East Liverpool
14. Cincinnati
Hamilton
Middletown
15. Ironton
16. Marietta

33. Economies of
scale
Improved local
government
accountability
Equalization of
service quantity
and quality
Coordinated
economic
competitiveness
Ability to retain
local community
character and
flavor
Rec #7

34. • Legacy cities are making progress, but daunting challenges
remain, particularly for Ohio’s small to medium sized cities
• Small and medium sized cities have unique assets that appeal
to new generations
• Be creative in identifying assets in your community and
leverage them
• Set clear long-term goals and identify small, achievable steps
to get you there
• Look beyond jurisdictional boundaries maximize resources
and identify new markets

35. Alison Goebel
Associate Director
Greater Ohio Policy Center
agoebel@greaterohio.org
@alisongoebelOH
www.greaterohio.org
614-224-0187
Special thanks to Christina
Cudney for her assistance
with this presentation

36. Unemployment
% with higher
ed. degree
Crime
% foreign born
population
Population loss
since peak
Population
change since
2000
Poverty
Household
dependency
ratio
Median Sales
Price
Change in
median house
sales price
Mortgage ratio Vacancy
% of graduate
students
Research
funding
Jobs
Measuring Legacy Cities’ Trajectory