Our nation's "Legacy Cities" are the former industrial powerhouses and urban economic hubs rich with history and culture dotted throughout the Northeast to the Great Lakes regions that experienced dramatic decline through the 1980s. The loss of manufacturing, flight of urban residents to the suburbs, and other changes driven by broad social and economic factors have caused these cities to struggle to remain economically relevant. Unemployment rates in these cities significantly exceeded the national rates (with the exception of Pittsburgh), income inequality was greater, and many have experienced severe jobs and population loss (Detroit having experienced the worst loss of 25% population decline between 2000 and 2010). Reduced prominence as economic hubs and loss of jobs have resulted in lost identity for many of these once-iconic symbols of industrial activity. For community leaders, high obstacles to regeneration include bringing an urban population out of poverty in a resource-constrained environment. Municipal leaders' budgets are limited due to diminished property values resulting from reduced housing demand and increasing abandonment, hindering the ability to invest in change.  Despite difficult challenges, many of these cities are showing signs of revitalization in healthier downtowns and urban cores and offer insight for public officials and civic leaders from other communities.

The Status of America's Legacy Cities

In May, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy's published a report that describes the decline of America's Legacy cities and analyzes their levels of recovery over the past decade. The report examined 18 cities from among 50 that had a minimum population of 50,000 in 2010 and loss of 20% or more from peak population levels on 15 indicators measuring population change, socioeconomic conditions, housing markets, and economic activity. Results of this analysis showed wide variation, and implications about the trajectories of these cities are detailed in the report.

http://orf.od.nih.gov/

The NIH is now located on 11 acres of space at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center at Bayview in Baltimore, MD.

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania respectively were found to have the greatest relative strength largely due to low unemployment rate, lowest population loss, and low percentage population loss. Detroit and Flint in Michigan were lowest ranked in relative strength with the worst unemployment rates, greatest population loss, and greatest decline in housing prices. More highly ranked cities have more successfully leveraged exisiting assets. For example Baltimore, MD (ranked 3rd strongest) is a hub for research funding and, through partnership among institutional, governmental, and philanthropic entities, has leveraged redevelopment anchored by  a biomedical campus close to Johns Hopkins Medical Center.

Strategic Incrementalism for Revitalization

A model for revitalization introduced in this report is "strategic incrementalism," which melds a shared, long-term strategic vision for what successful regeneration is (physically, socially, economically, and politically/fiscally) and an incremental, tactical process for change. This model is meant avoid unrealistic, grandiose redevelopment strategies; a path dependence perpetuating institutionalized attitudes, behaviors, decision-making and, therefore, decline; and "silver bullet" solutions that rely too heavily on single initiatives, such as bringing a conference center or casino to the area. Additional recommended strategies include, but are not limited to rebuilding the central core, targeting investment to sustain viable neighborhoods, repurposing vacant land, using existing assets (including historic, cultural, and human) to competitive advantage, re-establishing the economic role of the city, and strengthening local government partnerships and capacity. The report shared new models of governance and opportunities to capitalize on leadership as a key characteristic for change, as well as alternative models of regional collaboration to streamline services and administration. These activities are meant to re-establish the city as a central hub and spur economic growth by developing the physical, social, and economic character for fundamental, sustainable transformation.

Another Step Towards Sustainable Growth

flintfarmersmarket.com

In Flint, Michigan, the Flint Farmer's Market is moving downtown into the vacant Flint Journal printing facility.

Strategic incrementalism provides a new approach for even the most distraught cities in the nation to take toward sustainable growth and revitalization. Many legacy cities have been inventorying assets to devise multiple creative strategies toward shared goals and visions, rebuilding their physical and economic cores central cores, and stengthening their residential neighborhoods to improve the well-being of current residents and attract new ones. Local governments are engaging in innovative partnerships and collaborations with other local governments, other levels of government, public, and private foundations and businesses. Integrating activities into this new model presented may be transformative in paving the way toward a sustainable future for some of the nation's greatest historical assets that once defined American industry, its legacy cities.