Fostering Neighborhood Revitalization and Expanding Opportunity

1. Fostering Neighborhood Revitalization and Expanding Opportunity Presentation to: City of Columbus – Planning Department August 19th 2008 Jason Reece, AICP Senior Researcher The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity The Ohio State University Reece.35@osu.edu www.kirwaninstitute.org

2. Today’s Discussion • More on Kirwan and our Neighborhood Revitalization Research • Neighborhood Revitalization in Columbus • Trends, issues and conditions in Columbus • Key Strategies/Principles for Neighborhood Revitalization • Emerging Challenges

3. More on Kirwan • Background • Community Development Work • Opportunity Based Model of community development • Moving people to opportunity; building/nurturing opportunity in distressed neighborhoods • Recent Neighborhood Revitalization Projects • Land Bank Advising - Detroit • Cleveland Regionalism and Equity Initiative • The Columbus Foundation – Neighborhood Revitalization Assessment • West Baltimore – Neighborhood University Initiative

4. Neighborhood Revitalization • General Issues/Concerns in all Projects • Common challenges • Concentrated poverty, limited opportunity, disinvestment • Larger market forces are critical • Movement back to the city; gas prices and urban living (+) • Housing market trends & foreclosures (-) • Geographic context is critical • Both within the city and when thinking about the region • Language, Framing and Definitions are Important • Avoid the terminology-concept of gentrification • We still need to define successful (and equitable) revitalization

5. Neighborhood Revitalization • General Issues/Concerns (continued) • Limited public resources • Must be strategically used • Must catalyze private investment/individual action • Social/Organizational/Human capital critical • Neighborhood leadership and technical capability • Issues outside of the direct influence of neighborhood planning are critical • Public safety (crime) and educational opportunity

6. Neighborhood Revitalization • General Issues/Concerns (continued) • A combination of elements provide the best opportunity for revitalization

7. Neighborhood Revitalization in Columbus – Trends, Issues & Conditions • Tale of two cities • Old Columbus vs. New • In the Central City (Stable-Revitalizing vs. Challenged) • Common challenges across neighborhoods • Housing quality • Vacant property/foreclosure • Economic development/poverty • Public safety/education • Infrastructure needs/public spaces (parks)

8. Tale of Two Cities: Old vs. New Cols.

9. Tale of Two Cities: Revitalized vs. Challenged

10. Neighborhood Revitalization in Columbus – Trends, Issues & Conditions • Macro level issues • Columbus is a relatively healthier region than its regional peers • Although statewide housing and economic challenges may be reducing this condition

11. Neighborhood Revitalization in Columbus – Challenges and Needs Stakeholder observations: • We must successfully define what revitalization is to successfully inform strategies. • The process of resident engagement is critical -- many neighborhood residents do not feel engaged or like real partners in the planning process and redevelopment activities. • Gentrification is a real threat in some areas; redevelopment should not force out residents; proactively thinking about efforts to avoid widespread displacement early is critical to avoid this threat. • Social inclusion and equity (fairness) for local residents must be part of the driving goals for revitalization. • Reinvestment activity must be focused on the long term (long term goals, multi-year).

12. Neighborhood Revitalization in Columbus – Trends, Issues & Conditions Stakeholder observations • Local capacity building: Local organizing capabilities and capacity were identified as critical ingredients to effectively guide redevelopment initiatives and to engage local residents. Although local organizing and capacity is crucial, most respondents felt that this capacity was disorganized and in need of significant additional resources. Several examples were noted: • Scale up issue: not enough funds existed  to build on successful programs and initiatives. • Connection / information sharing: Not enough networking to share best practices and success stories among local organizations. • Community organizations and representation critical, but existing organizations are stretched and lack sufficient resources. • Park , open space and public meeting spaces were critical to help build community and spur community engagement, but these resources were lacking and often not maintained in most distressed communities. • The most significant hurdle for local organizations is moving from an all-volunteer organization to funding permanent staff.

13. Neighborhood Revitalization in Columbus – Trends, Issues & Conditions • Several existing programs and neighborhood assets were identified as beneficial and critical to promoting revitalization. • Historic character of housing stock is critical in determining suitability for revitalization, historic housing stock was a crucial asset to spur revitalization • The Mayor’s Home Again program and Neighborhood Pride programs were often identified as key assets to promoting revitalization in distressed communities • Systematic code enforcement was often mentioned as a critical tool to address the physical neglect in distressed communities

14. Potential for Revitalization:Input from local stakeholders

15. Strategies for Success • Define success before intervening • Equity “fairness” and inclusion must be an explicit goal • Adopt a long term approach • Adopt a multi-faceted approach • Network and support existing local civic organizations • Engage critical stakeholders such as the universities, urban hospitals and major employers • Focus on “turning point” neighborhoods • Bring small success to scale • Address specific macro level issues • Support establishment of anchor institutions/developments • Make catalytic investments

16. Strategies for Success • The need to think in a long term and comprehensive manner were summarized by Jonathan Fanton, President of the MacArthur Foundation, at a recent LISC National Leadership Conference last year. • “…sustainable neighborhood improvement requires long-term, simultaneous investment in all the issues-schools, housing, health, jobs, economic development, safety, community cohesion, and more-that must improve together in a reinforcing virtuous circle. Practically speaking, this may mean applying a comprehensive lens and working first on the few interventions with the greatest potential to stimulate further change.” • Quote taken from remarks made by Jonathan Fanton at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) National Leadership Conference, October 3rd 2007, full remarks available on-line at: http://www.macfound.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=lkLXJ8MQKrH&b=1137397&ct=4498087

17. Strategies for Success • Improving local organizational capacity: • Assist neighborhood organizations in their attempt to “scale up” to an efficient, well-resourced organization with trained and dedicated staff • Support an intentional, inclusive networking effort among existing organizations, so that they can share best practices and cut costs by minimizing the “learning curve” • Improving educational opportunities: • Create new educational opportunities in distressed areas; new outlets for educational opportunity are needed in distressed communities • Address early education issues for children in poverty, work on in-school reforms to promote positive educational outcomes

18. Strategies for Success • Economic development: • Small business/Minority business development.  Targeting reinvestment in traditional commercial corridors.  Workforce/labor force training and development. Public transportation investments. Housing initiatives: • Aggressive and strategic land banking.  Foreclosure prevention activities.  Encouraging market rate housing, homeownership and mixed income development.  Supporting historic preservation. 

19. Strategies for Success • Expanding basic services: • Provide access to affordable/healthy food. • Provide support for community or park space. • Promoting public safety: • Support community policing activities. • Anti-poverty initiatives, redevelopment and vacant property mitigation to address crime. 

20. Emerging Challenges • The escalation of the national housing/foreclosure crisis is going to create new challenges in many of these neighborhoods. • Hitting “on the fence” neighborhoods • Undermining re-investment/spurring vacancy • Undermining community organization/capacity

21. Visit us on-line at: www.kirwaninstitute.org Thank you!Please check out our Foreclosure convening in the fall (Oct 2nd and 3rd) Questions or Comments: Reece.35@osu.edu