To present a bold vision for the future of their communities, a bipartisan, cross-sector network of leaders from small legacy cities have released “A Vision for Ohio's Reinvention Cities.” Endorsed by more than thirty representatives of the private, public, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors, this forward-looking agenda outlines achievable state policies that are key to ensuring the revitalization of Ohio’s Reinvention Cities – legacy cities with fewer than 65,000 residents that have lost population since their 20th century peaks. The vision document proposes workable solutions that can be adopted by candidates and policymakers from both sides of the aisle as they work to strengthen these communities that are essential for ensuring Ohio’s future prosperity.

Ohio’s Reinvention Cities have long been key in building the state’s middle-class prosperity due to their rich histories of industry, innovation, and civic leadership. Yet global economic changes have challenged these communities, and an absence of supportive state policy has weakened their ability to transition and thrive under new economic realities. In response to these challenges, key leaders representing the public, private, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors from small legacy cities have formed the Reinvention Cities network, which works to advocate for shared policy goals and promote learning among peer cities.

The policies highlighted in the “Vision of Ohio’s Reinvention Cities” focus on five broad categories: vibrant, prosperous, connected, healthy & fair, and strategic. Each of these categories corresponds to a vision statement imagining a bright future for Ohio’s small legacy cities with appropriate internal and external support. The proposed policies were derived from years of research by Greater Ohio Policy Center into successful revitalization strategies in smaller legacy cities, and fall into a broad range of issue areas including housing, transportation, infrastructure, and workforce development.

For more information on Greater Ohio Policy Center’s previous work on small legacy cities and to view the full vision document please visit www.greaterohio.org/reinvention-cities