The story of Cleveland’s long decline and nascent recovery is a well-worn one. Lately, the city has latched onto a local sports team’s slogan to brand its comeback: “Believeland. ” This optimism is, in part, well-merited. Last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers won their first-ever championship, the city prepared for and successfully hosted the Republican National Convention, and local tech entrepreneurs birthed Ohio’s first unicorn.
Cities across the Midwest are writing similar chapters, under their own comeback banners; from Pittsburgh (“Mighty Beautiful“) to Detroit (“America’s Great Comeback City“), stories of Rust Belt revival abound. At the same time, concentrated poverty and economic polarization remain huge challenges in these cities. None of them are achieving inclusive economic growth — the elusive gold standard of a vibrant, thriving, sustainable economy. In a recent POV article in CityLab, Richey Piiparinen of the Center for Population Dynamics at Cleveland State University cites the risk in the city’s comeback story: a scenario in which “new economy” neighborhoods amass wealth while others stagnate or decline.
Are these cities really something to believe in? They may be — if we can collectively find a way to connect economic opportunity with historically isolated and disconnected populations. If we don’t, our comeback banners will lie in tatters.
While the factors that contribute to concentrated poverty and the growing gap between the rich and poor are numerous and complex, one theme spans cities across the vast expanse of Midwest and inland Southern states that have been dubbed the New American Heartland: a growing distance between people and jobs.
Of the 25 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) that experienced the greatest decline in the number of jobs near the average resident, 19 — or 76 percent — are located in New American Heartland states.This spatial mismatch between jobs and people has real costs. People spend more time and money commuting, businesses struggle to fill open positions, air quality declines as emissions grow, and the fiscal health of municipalities suffers as taxpayers have to simultaneously support the costs of legacy infrastructure and new development.Development patterns driving…
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