Smaller post-industrial cities are taking strategic steps to regenerate by building on downtowns, capitalizing on a unique sense of place, and focusing on workforce development, according to a new report published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in partnership with the Greater Ohio Policy Center.
The report, Revitalizing America’s Smaller Legacy Cities: Strategies for Postindustrial Success from Gary to Lowell, emphasizes how America’s smaller legacy cities – cities located primarily in the Midwest and Northeast with 30,000 to 200,000 residents and traditional economies built around manufacturing – have long been central to building American middle class prosperity.
The Indiana cities of Gary, South Bend, and Muncie are highlighted for their strategies and the opportunities they are pursuing. This report lays out eight strategies that are helping to revitalize small and midsize legacy cities around the country.
These eight strategies include initiatives that organize neighbors and leadership, decide collectively on strategy, and build the capacity to execute. Regular blog readers familiar with the comprehensive community development strategies Prosperity Indiana advocates will recognize key themes in the reports strategies:
- Build Civic Capacity and Talent
- Encourage a Shared Vision
- Expand Opportunities for Low-Income Workers
- Build on an Authentic Sense of Place
- Focus Regional Efforts on Rebuilding a Strong Downtown
- Engage in Community and Strategic Planning
- Stabilize Distressed Neighborhoods
- Strategically Leverage State Policies
