Originally posted at EquityBlog.org
Are the nation's smaller industrial cities -- places like Youngstown, Ohio; Schenectady, NY; and Dwight's hometown of Scranton, PA -- poised for a comeback? A new PolicyLink report released today shows how smart, equitable investments are helping lead these cities toward a more just and fair renewal.
Driven by high gas prices and a "green awakening," many families and retiring Boomers are looking for a walkable, manageable place to call home.
Concentrated in swing states and already home to nearly 7.5 million people – more than Los Angeles and Chicago combined – these 150+ cities have many of the assets and amenities to capitalize on the national re-urbanization trend: walkable downtowns, historic architecture, unparalleled waterfronts and parks, colleges and universities, and grand cultural institutions.
In an op-ed in Sunday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Mayor Jay Williams of Youngstown and Mayor Chris Doherty of Scranton wrote that cities like theirs are ready for renewal: "We can be strong again -- and we know what it will take to get us there. We are blessed with rich legacies and the urban infrastructure that comes with it."
Smart and bold local leadership in smaller cities have made them incubators of some of the nation’s most innovative public policy ideas, bringing opportunity and hope to all their residents. Unlike fast-gentrifying cities like San Francisco, New York and Washington, these cities are well-positioned to be places of shared prosperity for families of all income levels.
You can read all about the report in the PDF version of "To Be Strong Again" or visit EquityBlog for a cool embedded viewer (which is not embeddable on DailyKos, unfortunately)