The Urban Center - Featured Research

Does a Mayor Make a Difference in a City’s Economic Performance?
The case of Akron, Ohio, May 6, 2009. Ned Hill.
Can a mayor make a difference in a city’s long-term economic performance? Mayors have been observed making a difference in case studies and in press accounts but it is nearly impossible to link the economic performance of a particular city to the actions of a specific mayor. Terms are frequently too short and cause and effect cannot be disentangled. The term of Akron’s Mayor Donald Plusquellic offers an opportunity to make the connection. The mayor’s length of service is long, data are available, and comparable cities and metropolitan areas exist to act as informal controls for other structural explanations for the observed outcome. It is observed that the number of jobs held by Akron’s residents grew from 1990 to 2007. This fact is compared to 29 other large central cities. Only eight of the 29 comparable cities experienced growth; Columbus being the only other city on Ohio. This paper examines the ways in which the city of Akron, under Plusquellic’s leadership affected the city’s economic performance.

2008 Northeast Ohio Barometer of Economic Attitudes, 2008. Kathryn Hexter, Molly Schnoke and John Brennan.
The primary goal of the Northeast Ohio Barometer of Economic Attitudes (NEO Barometer) is to provide meaningful information about what the public knows and perceives about the region. The Barometer is designed to provide a reliable and objective opinion-gauge of the people in Northeast Ohio. Since 2004, it has been tracking the public’s perception of the region’s general economic development progress, as well as opinions on regionalism and economic development initiatives. The 2008 survey added a new section that begins to track public perceptions about the importance of education, to inform strategies for addressing the persistently low levels of educational attainment of northeast Ohio residents.

A Scan of Attributes in County Government Structure, 2008. The Urban Center.
This report discusses the outcome of a national scan of models of effective county leadership and operations that might translate into alternative structures for consideration by the Commission on Cuyahoga County Government Reform. The scan produced a number of alternate county organizational structures that utilized several formats for executive, legislative, and administrative roles.

The Likely Impact of Mandated Paid Sick and Family-Care Leave on the Economy and Economic Development Prospects of the State of Ohio, 2008. The Urban Center.
The Urban Center of the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs of Cleveland State University was engaged by Ohioans to Protect Jobs, a nonprofit group organized under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, to analyze a proposal that all employers in Ohio employing 25 or more people provide seven paid sick and family-leave days for all employees working 30 hours or more. The proposal also required that part-time employees be provided similar benefits on a pro rata basis. This report details the findings and conclusions of the Urban Center research team.

Regional Dashboard of Economic Indicators 2008: Comparative Performance of Midwest and Northeast Ohio Metropolitan Areas, September 2008. Ziona Austrian, Afia Yamoah and Iryna Lendel.
This report describes the findings from the third study of Dashboard indicators using the framework that was developed in the previous two studies. The framework resulted in a set of indicators that explains the dynamics of regional economic growth for large and mid-sized metropolitan areas in the United States. The objective of this study is to continue monitoring the performance of Northeast Ohio metropolitan areas over time and in comparison to other metropolitan areas across the United States.

Northeast Ohio Economic Brief, April 2008. Jill Taylor.
This brief is the fourth release in a series that provides a broad overview of employment and wage trends for Northeast Ohio. It updates earlier editions with data for the first quarter of 2007. It is intended to provide a quick, current, and informative snapshot of the regional economy.

Northeast Ohio Manufacturing Brief, November 2007. Afia Yamoah.
This brief continues a series of publications on trends in Northeast Ohio manufacturing industries. It aims to provide a quick, current, and informative report on trends in employment, wages, and output for major manufacturing industries.

Responding to Foreclosures in Cuyahoga County: An Assessment of Progress, November 2006. Alan C. Weinstein, Kathryn Wertheim Hexter and Molly Schnoke
In August 2006, Cleveland State University was asked to conduct an initial assessment of the Cuyahoga County Commissioners' Report and Recommendations on Foreclosure that would assist the county in planning for future phases of the project. This report presents the findings of this initial assessment of the first 18 months of the initiative. It documents the process undertaken by the county, assesses the progress made toward reaching goals, identifies successes and concerns, and offers some preliminary recommendations about program operations. It also offers suggestions for a more formal evaluation process going forward.

A Review of Tax Expenditure Limitations and Their Impact on State and Local Government in Ohio, 2006. Edward W. Hill, Ph.D., Matthew Sattler, Jacob Duritsky, Kevin O’Brien and Claudette Robey
This report examines the history of Tax Expenditure Limitations (TELs) across the United States, from their infancy in the mid-1970s through their current incarnation. Various TELs are reviewed, the forces behind their creation are discussed, and three case studies of the performance of TELs are presented, examining their structures and outcomes. The final section of the paper focuses on the history of tax limitation efforts in Ohio. This is followed by a description of the Ohio TEL proposal and the initial reaction to that proposal.

Strategy for the Implementation of an Industrial Land Bank, September 2005. Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center.
The City of Cleveland plans to create a long-term vision for industrial and commercial land reuse in order to better serve the business and neighborhood interests of its citizens. The implementation of an industrial land bank is one critical way in which to fulfill this goal. This study aimed to develop a strategy to aid the city in the operation and management of rehabilitating commercial and industrial properties for reuse. The objectives of the project were to:

• Incorporate a strategy understood by senior managers at the city that identifies a broad economic redevelopment vision, especially for brownfields.
• Include in the plan strategies for financing the acquisition and/or transfer of properties into the land bank.
• Establish elements in the plan to include both short- and long-term implementation.

Best Practices in Land Bank Operation, June 2005. Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center.
In preparation for the development of a strategic business plan for the City of Cleveland to create an industrial/commercial land bank, the GLFEC conducted a best practices scan that encompassed two phases of primary research. The first phase included a thorough review of more than 41 sources of academic and trade literature on the topics of vacant land utilization and management, land banking, land assembly, and vacant and abandoned property policy. The second phase was a survey of 34 land banks and land redevelopment authorities in the United States. This report summarizes the findings of the research and identifies those practices in land-bank operation in the United States that currently define the models of operation and point to the best policies and practices in use today.

A Report to the Urban League of Greater Cleveland: An Assessment of Business Support Services Available to Existing and Start-up Small Businesses in the City of Cleveland, June 2005. Stuart Mendel.
This report’s objective is to help leadership organizations and policymakers look for ways to adapt their program initiatives to address the concentration of poverty in the city of Cleveland through small business development. A number of recommendations have been offered throughout this report that focus on providing support and technical assistance to small businesses, which comprise the overwhelming majority of enterprises in the region.

Industry-Based Competitive Strategies for Ohio: Managing Three Portfolios, May 2005. Deloitte Consulting, LLP, Cleveland State University, OSA Strategy.
Political and business leaders have recognized a need to chart a new economic course for Ohio’s future. This study represents a step toward determining effective uses for limited development dollars in the state and filling in Ohio’s economic development strategy. This statewide industry study has been designed to provide economic development officials with insight, analysis, and strategic tools to help businesses compete more efficiently in an increasingly global marketplace.

America's Central Cities, Jobs and Economic Development: Presentation to U.S. Conference of Mayors, Akron, Ohio, 2004. Edward W. Hill.
This presentation details the seven rules for economic development in cities. It warns of adopting simple, packaged solutions to tackle the complex problems and opportunities cities face. The presentation closes with a discussion on the geography of competition and the realities of the global marketplace.

Innovation in Economic Development, Ohio MEMS Association 2004 Economic Summit: The Business Case, 2004. Edward W. Hill, Patrick Gammons.
This presentation outlines the seven principles of economic development and ways to think about innovation in the regional economy. It stresses the need to innovate as a product’s market power and earnings diminish along the product life cycle. The presentation closes with a discussion of the components of a successful regional innovation portfolio.

Manufacturing Pennsylvania’s Future: Regional Strategies that Build from Current Strengths and Address Competitive Challenges, January 2004. Deloitte Consulting, LLP, Cleveland State University, Jack Russell Associates, Inc.
Executive Summary
This study documents the role of manufacturing in Pennsylvania and analyzes the forces shaping the future of the industry. (Team PA Foundation, March 2004). Four goals drove the study: 1) Document the past and present importance of manufacturing to the Pennsylvania economy, 2) analyze the forces that will shape the possible futures of manufacturing in the state, 3) assess the economic impact and return on investment of the Industrial Resources Centers, and 4) identify actions to help achieve a dynamic and prosperous future for manufacturing.

Slanted Pavement: How Ohio's Highway Spending Shortchanges Cities and Suburbs, March 2003. Billie K. Geyer, Kevin E. O'Brien, Claudette Robey, and John Brennan.
This paper examines the geographic pattern of state transportation spending in Ohio between 1980 and 1998. In particular, it examines the spatial patterns, the location of state transportation finance and spending—including current highway contracts, gas tax collections, and vehicle registration tax revenues—and compares them to indicators of transportation demand and need.

In doing so, the paper seeks to decipher one state’s confusing system of highway finance to determine whether transportation dollars are being spent in ways that meet the myriad challenges—aging infrastructure, traffic congestion, and decentralizing economic development—faced by metropolitan areas. In addition, the paper also seeks—since Ohio’s system of transportation finance resembles that of many states—to throw light on spending patterns within numerous states.

Ohio’s Competitive Advantage: Manufacturing Productivity, 2001. Edward W. Hill.
The underlying theme of Dr. Hill’s book is that manufacturing is the connective tissue of the state’s economy. This is true in two ways: The first is in terms of the distribution of employment, and the second connection is in locations of different parts of the manufacturing production process. The key to increasing incomes in all parts of Ohio is to ensure that the products made in manufacturing production platforms remain competitive, which means vigorously pursuing public policies that enhance productivity—investing in both labor and capital.

Manufacturing in Ohio: World-class and Underappreciated by All But the Market. Edward W. Hill.
This presentation explores the role of technology in the economy – its impact on production and on incomes in Ohio. It asks the question, “What does high tech really mean?” and asserts that manufacturing is an industry with increasing demand for technologically specialized labor.

Navigating Relationships: Power, Money and Talk in Grantmaker-Grantseeker Interactions, 2008. Todd Lloyd, Susan Friemark and Jessica Sowa.
This project was initiated in response to a study that showed that nonprofit executive directors were leaving the profession because relationships with funders increased the stress of fundraising (Daring to Lead, 2006). The initiative involved two components: an exploratory survey to both grant-making foundations and grant-seeking nonprofits in Greater Cleveland to gain insight into how both groups viewed their relationship and effectiveness in addressing community problems. The results from these surveys provided information to structure discussions at a series of workshops conducted between April 2007 and November 2007. The recommendations included in the report are gleaned from the insights of the workshop participants. They are meant to help funders and grantees alike better navigate their often complex interactions and increase the overall impact of their work together.