Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Food Deserts In Urban Areas, Regina Bellian

The Downtown Review

This paper illustrates the issue of food deserts faced by urban areas in three parts. Part one focuses on defining food deserts and what exactly the term denotes as well as who is affected by their present existence socially, physically, and economically. Part two presents research on some of the current policies and programs in place to address the issue of food deserts and discusses a few of the difficulties in implementing them. These approaches are then further analyzed for effectiveness in varying regions. Part three explores a handful of alternative methods to combat this urban issue in order to …

Before The New Street: Opportunity Corridor Residents And Jobs, 2017, Robert Gleeson, Joseph Andre

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The Ohio Department of Transportation is constructing the final portion of “the Opportunity Corridor.” This new 4-6 lane city street in Cleveland will connect I-490 at the 55th Street exit to University Circle by way of 105th Street, which was extended as part of this multi-stage project. The new street will improve commute times for University Circle workers and improve access to the distressed neighborhoods along its path.

Shale Investment Dashboard In Ohio Q3 And Q4 2018, Andrew R. Thomas, Mark Henning

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report presents findings from an investigation into shale-related investment in Ohio. The investment estimates are cumulative from July through December of 2018. Prior investments have previously been reported and are available from Cleveland State University. Subsequent reports will estimate additional investment since the date of this report.

Gradual Growth In Regional Collaboration In Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Roland Anglin, Rene Kizys

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

For many, regionalism is the answer to managing city challenges brought about by metropolitan sprawl. Yet regionalism is defined in many ways. Proponents tend to recommend regional tax sharing and/or increased coordination and sharing of services.

For the most part, such efforts have not progressed very far in Northeast Ohio. But the context for local autonomy has changed. Jurisdictions that were fiscally sound now find they are not immune from fiscal constraints.

The first Levin Regional Cooperation Survey, conducted in late 2018, examines regional collaboration efforts in city management and operations among the 57 municipalities in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

Estimating Social Costs For Various Fuel Strategies For Transit Buses, Mark Henning

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

An analysis of the social cost of pollutant emissions for a selection of fuel pathways among heavy duty transit buses using Argonne National Laboratory’s Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model and federal guidelines on the social cost per unit mass for major pollutants.

An Analysis Of The Association Between Changes In Ambient Temperature, Fuel Economy, And Vehicle Range For Battery Electric And Fuel Cell Electric Buses, Mark Henning, Andrew R. Thomas, Alison Smyth

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report evaluates the effects of changes in ambient temperature on the fuel efficiency and range of zero emission buses. The report relies on data that was made available from transit agencies that have deployed hydrogen fuel cell and battery electric zero-emission buses. This analysis shows that the fuel economy and range of electric drive buses may vary significantly with changes in outdoor temperature. In planning zero emission fleet development strategy, it is important for transit agencies to understand how their zero-emission bus’s performance may change with temperature. The effects of temperature change on range may be particularly important in …

The State Of Rural Northeast Ohio, Iryna Demko, Samuel Owusu-Agyemang

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This research brief focuses on industries in eight rural NEO counties: Ashland, Ashtabula, Columbiana, Erie, Huron, Richland, Tuscarawas, and Wayne. These counted produced $30 billion of output and employed 300,000 people in 2018. Output growth in rural NEO counties has outperformed urban NEO and Ohio – much of this growth can be attributed to the Utica Shale development. Tuscarawas county surpassed output growth in all other counties in NEO.

Levin Regional Cooperation Survey, Roland Anglin, Rene Kizys

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Regionalism is defined in many ways. Some define it by regional tax sharing and consolidating local units of government into a larger city/county statutory governing arrangement that may encourage equity and efficiency. Notable examples of this include Indianapolis and its “Unigov” consolidation with many surrounding towns, municipalities; as well as the City of Nashville and Davidson County in Tennessee. Other consolidations are bilateral city-to-city policy setting arrangements, such as the Metro Council, that determine growth and development policy for the Twin Cities, Minneapolis-Saint Paul. This study proceeds on the belief that regionalism can also be defined in functional terms based …

Oil And Gas As A Driver Of The Regional Economy: Updates, Iryna Lendel

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The economic trends in Northeast Ohio (NEO) over the last 20 years are typical of the Midwest region, with a positive increase in output outpaced by the state of Ohio, and the United States. The double recessions of 2001 and 2007-2009 show a deeper output decline in NEO than in comparable Midwest regions and the United States. Traditionally, industries with high regional specialization that have a competitive advantage and drive regional economies are called economic base industries. Groups of Regional Industry Drivers (GRIDs) are part of the economic base of a region. The Oil & Gas GRID accounts for less …

Making “The Garden City Of The South”: Beautification, Preservation, And Downtown Planning In Augusta, Georgia, J. Mark Souther

History Faculty Publications

This article illuminates how a smaller southern city engaged broader planning approaches. Civic leaders, especially women, pushed and partnered with municipal administrations to beautify Augusta, Georgia, a city with extraordinarily wide streets and a long tradition of urban horticulture. Their efforts in the 1900s to 1950s, often in concert with close by planners, led to a confluence of urban beautification, historic preservation, and downtown revitalization in the 1960s. This coordinated activity reshaped Augusta’s cityscape, exacerbated racial tensions, and enshrined principles of the City Beautiful, Garden City, and parks movements long after they receded in large cities, influencing the work of …

Energy Storage Roadmap For Northeast Ohio 2019: Full Report, Mark Henning, Andrew R. Thomas

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The 2019 Energy Storage Roadmap examines the trends that are driving growth in energy storage for the electric power grid, transportation, and consumer electronics applications. The report also highlights the commercial and structural assets that Northeast Ohio currently possesses that could enable it to capture an increasing share of what is projected to be a $100 billion market by 2025. While disruptive market forces are causing the ground to shift for the advanced energy industry, this shift will present opportunities for Northeast Ohio to capitalize on innovative technologies being developed regionally that would enable the realization of appreciably greater economic …

Doctoral Education And The Academic Job Market In Planning: 2018-2019, Joanna Ganning, Georgina Figueroa

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report presents the results from the second year of a planned three-year study on doctoral education and the academic job market in Planning. The Year 2 survey of doctoral programs indicates that programs graduated approximately 270 new PhDs in Planning or closely allied fields during the 2018-2019 academic year—an 8% decrease from the previous academic year. Programs report that approximately 66% of students enroll with aspirations for academic careers. Extrapolating from the survey data, this suggests that of the estimated 270 graduates during academic year 2018-2019, an estimated 179 preferred an academic position. Survey data indicates an estimated 111 …

Identifying Sector-Based Opportunities To Create Living-Wage Jobs In Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Robert Gleeson

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Cuyahoga County’s rate of job growth remains below national averages despite ten years of continual U.S. job growth. Cuyahoga County’s economy has high shares of jobs (Employment Location Quotients above 1.0) in sectors with low national growth rates, and low shares of jobs (ELQ’s below 1.0) in sectors with high national growth rates.

Examining Inclusive Growth: Minority-Owned Firms In The Cleveland-Elyria Msa Brief, Iryna Lendel

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report provides insight on minority business ownership in the 5-county Cleveland-Elyria Metropolitan Statistical Area (Cleveland MSA) using data from the 2007 and 2012 U.S. Census Bureau Survey of Business Owners. Minority-owned businesses in the Cleveland MSA represented 20% of all firms in 2012. The majority of these firms, 71%, were owned by African American entrepreneurs (24,618), while 14% (4,959 firms) were Asian-owned. Overall, Asian firms have higher combined sales than African American firms ($1.9 billion versus $972 million); resulting in higher sales per firm. Targeted public policies assisting in revenue generation in the African American business community can increase …

Energy Storage Roadmap For Northeast Ohio 2019: Executive Summary, Mark Henning, Andrew R. Thomas

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

A great deal has changed in the energy storage industry since 2011. The way in which people interact with energy in living our lives has continued to undergo fundamental shifts that have become ever more conspicuous. The changing dynamics of not only how the energy we use is generated, but also of how and when it must be deployed to meet our increasing—and increasingly complex—demand for electric power are accelerating the need for more advanced, economical forms of energy storage.

This 2019 Energy Storage Roadmap examines the trends that are driving growth in energy storage for the electric power grid, …

2019 Cuyahoga County Economic Development Plan: Indicators And Projections Brief, Iryna Lendel, Iryna Demko, Matthew B. Ellerbrock

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Center For Economic Development Welcomes The White House Opportunity And Revitalization Council And U.S. Eda, Iryna Lendel, Merissa Piazza, Matthew B. Ellerbrock

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Update On Electricity Customer Choice In Ohio: Competition Continues To Outperform Traditional Monopoly Regulation (Full Report), Andrew R. Thomas, William M. Bowen, Mark Henning, Edward W. Hill, Adam Kanter

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

The purpose of this study is to provide an update to the research team’s 2016 report “Electricity Customer Choice in Ohio: How Competition Has Outperformed Traditional Monopoly Regulation” using data for 2016 through 2018.

Key Findings:

1. Since 2011, Ohio consumers have saved $23.9 billion because of deregulation.

2. Competition has driven down average electricity prices in deregulated Midwestern states (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois), while their regulated peers (Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin) have seen a steady increase in price of generated electricity.

3. The Study Team anticipates that savings will continue for the near term to be around $3 billion per year. …

Update On Electricity Customer Choice In Ohio: Competition Continues To Outperform Traditional Monopoly Regulation (Executive Summary), Andrew R. Thomas, William M. Bowen, Mark Henning, Edward Hill, Adam Kanter

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Key Findings at a Glance:

Deregulated Markets Save Ohio Electricity Consumers Billions

• Since 2011, deregulation has saved Ohio consumers $23.9 billion.
• The Study Team anticipates that savings will continue for the near term to be around $3 billion per year. However, these savings may be lost, in whole or in part, if deregulated energy markets continue to be undermined by cross subsidies.

Competition Outperforms Monopoly Regulation

• Competition has driven down average electricity prices in deregulated Midwestern states while their regulated peers have seen a steady increase in price of generated electricity.

The Future Is Now: Akron’S Dynamic And Inclusive Economy, Iryna Lendel, Iryna Demko, Merissa Piazza, Matthew Ellerbrock

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

• The economic trends in Northeast Ohio (NEO) over the last 20 years are typical of the Midwest region, with a positive increase in output outpaced by the state of Ohio, and the United States
  
  
• The double recessions of 2001 and 2007-2009 show a deeper output decline in NEO than in comparable Midwest regions and the United States
  
  
• Traditionally, industries with high regional specialization that have a competitive advantage and drive regional economies are called economic base industries
  
  
• Groups of Regional Industry Drivers (GRIDs) are part of the economic base of a region 2

The Nasa Glenn Research Center: An Economic Impact Study Fiscal Year 2018, Iryna Lendel, Jinhee Yun

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Economic impact estimates the benefits within the regional economy generated by an economic activity of an entity for an affected region. This study uses an input-output (I-O) model to estimate the effect of NASA Glenn Research Center’s spending on the economies of Northeast Ohio (NEO) and Ohio. This model measures economic impact in terms of growth in output (sales), value added (output less intermediary goods), number of new and supported jobs, labor income, and tax revenues.

This year’s study uses the same methodology to measure NASA Glenn’s impact on the economies of Northeast Ohio and Ohio as was used for …

Congressional District Boundaries In Ohio: Impact On Voters And Party Representation In The U.S. Congress, Mark J. Salling Phd, Gisp

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

On May 3, 2019, a panel of three U.S. Federal court judges in Cincinnati ruled that the boundary lines that have been used since 2011 for all of Ohio’s 16 U.S. Congressional districts are unconstitutional. The court was “…convinced by the evidence that this partisan gerrymander was intentional and effective and that no legitimate justification accounts for its extremity.” The plaintiffs offered testimony and evidence that extreme partisanship was used in 2011 to draw Congressional boundaries, thus denying some voters their constitutional rights. Defendants countered with testimony and evidence that the districts were drawn legally and fairly. Ultimately, the case …

Disruptive Growth Through Co-Working Industry: Economic Impact Of Potential Real Estate Market Intervention In Cleveland, Iryna Lendel, Merissa Piazza, Iryna Demko, Nick Zingale

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report reviews the current state of the co-working industry and its potential for growth according to current supply-demand relationships as it relates to larger economic movements and to the regional market for Cleveland, Ohio, and the surrounding area. The report analyzes factors that influence co-working growth and uptake and projects the likely state of the industry in coming years. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the nature and scope of co-working supply and demand and develops a typology that can identify benefits and approaches for distinct types of co-workers and co-working stakeholders.

Local Front Runners: Grids In The 4 Northeast Ohio Metropolitan Areas, Merissa Piazza, Iryna Demko, Iryna Lendel, Matthew B. Ellerbrock

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Northeast Ohio (NEO) is an 18-county region which encompasses four different Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs); MSAs commonly refer to the labor market of a given area (for this study: the Akron MSA, the Canton-Massillon MSA, the Cleveland-Elyria MSA, a part of the Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA MSA) and remaining rural counties (“non-MSA counties”). Within NEO, these four distinct metro areas have different industry structures. Investigating the internal dynamics of each region’s economic driver industries—what we call Groups of Regional Industry Drivers (GRIDs)—can inform local leaders and economic development practitioners of expanding and emerging industries to foster regional growth.

Economic trends in NEO …

Slow Job Growth And Economic Structure In Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Robert Gleeson

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

In July 2019 the current U.S. economic expansion will become ten years old, plus one month. This will make it the longest U.S. economic expansion since the end of World War Two.

For counties like Cuyahoga, the prolonged national economic expansion has created favorable conditions for economic renewal after decades of painful decline and restructuring.

State and local economic development strategies in Cuyahoga County have helped many companies and workers in traditional sectors re-establish national and/or global competitiveness.

Measuring The Seeds Of Neighborhood Gentrification, Minkyu Yeom

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Cities experience constant change. Many changes need to be managed carefully because they can have serious consequences for city residents.

For many decades suburban sprawl and white-flight have caused falling property values, lower rents, lower tax receipts, lower quality public services, and sharp declines in the quality of life in many city neighborhoods. Despite these obstacles, many long-time city residents (often minorities, low-income families, and new immigrants) have worked hard to maintain a sense of community.

In recent years many younger, white, well-educated, and higher-income residents are moving back into older city neighborhoods. The influx of new residents is revitalizing …

Home Purchase Loans Are Denied More Often For African American Applicants Than White Applicants In Northeast Ohio, Mark J. Salling Phd, Gisp

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Housing condition and neighborhood vitality depend on investments by institutions that make purchase loans to home buyers. Without access to such credit prospective homebuyers are fewer and the value of property declines.

The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) provides census tract level data on the number of loan applications that are submitted and the number of home purchase loans that are finalized. Data are reported by the race (and gender) of individual applicants. HMDA data on denials for conventional (1-4 unit) loan applications in 2016 are analyzed in this report for White and African American applicants in the 12-county Northeast …

Northeast Ohio Front Runners: Groups Of Regional Industry Drivers (Grids), Iryna Lendel, Iryna Demko, Merissa Piazza, Matthew Ellerbrock

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

• The economic trends in Northeast Ohio (NEO) over the last 20 years are typical of the Midwest region, with a positive increase in output outpaced by the state of Ohio, and the United States

• The double recessions of 2001 and 2007-2009 show a deeper output decline in NEO than in comparable Midwest regions and the United States

• Traditionally, industries with high regional specialization that have a competitive advantage and drive regional economies are called economic base industries

• Groups of Regional Industry Drivers (GRIDs) are part of the economic base of a region

Northeast Ohio Grids Monitor, Merissa Piazza

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

Groups of Regional Industry Drivers (GRIDs) were identified in Northeast Ohio (NEO). GRIDs are wealth-creating industries that have a strong regional specialization, growing output, rising productivity, and local competitive advantage. Overall, the three identified GRIDs—Professional Services, Growing Legacy Manufacturing, and Oil and Gas—contributed nearly 40% ($90.4 billion) to NEO’s total output and employed 20% (369,054 people) of NEO workforce in 2018. This research provides an update on the performance of GRIDs economy focusing on 2017-18 changes and projections for 2019. Calculations in this monitor are based on the data from Moody's Analytics Economy.com.

Shale Investment Dashboard In Ohio Q1 And Q2 2018, Andrew R. Thomas, Mark Henning, Kirby Date, Tahir E. Sondo

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report presents findings from an investigation into shale-related investment in Ohio. The investment estimates are cumulative from January through June of 2018. Prior investments have previously been reported and are available from Cleveland State University. Subsequent reports will estimate additional investment since the date of this report.