Cities Aren't Disposable

The report outlines a number of Cleveland's assets, like a strong commuter rail, bus rapid transit system and port, and suggests that the city maximize those strengths by taking advantage of Federal grants for infrastructure investments:

"The federal Sustainable Communities partnership between USHUD, USDOT and USEPA, the TIGER grant program administered by USDOT, and a proposed national infrastructure bank all favor urban investments that create jobs while reducing carbon emissions and improving livability," write Scott Bernstein and Kathryn Tholin of CNU in the report's executive summary.

On the other hand, Steven Litt of The Plain Dealer points out the darker side of the report:

"The report paints a dire portrait of Northeast Ohio as a region with a huge oversupply of single-family housing and a patchwork of inefficient local governments on 'the brink of fiscal crisis.'"

Thanks to Emily Robinson