Sprawl is a Problem
As of 1996, less than one out of every five jobs was located within three miles of the central business district in Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia.
This report presents a framework for change to forge a more equitable and inclusive society, focusing on America’s older centers that face obstacles to realizing a sustainable economic future. These places struggle to reposition themselves in a changing economic landscape characterized by the movement of people and resources to other regions, both domestically and overseas.
This migration of resources and capital left behind abandoned and disinvested neighborhoods where residents lack meaningful access to economic and social opportunities. Even older suburbs are beginning to see similar trends and feel the same strains. As the problems spread, the people with the fewest resources are left without opportunities, and the entire region is left floundering to compete and grow economically.
This report explores the opportunities and challenges confronting older core cities by looking closely at five through extensive research, interviews and comprehensive analysis. Through examining innovative practices and policies, this report offers a set of strategies to encourage stable regional growth.
Five cities were part of the study: Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Since 1970, each city lost at least 48,000 manufacturing jobs and each region lost at least 100,000.