| (05/24/07) - The Brookings
Institution, a Washington D.C. think tank has
issued a report examining the overall economic performance of the American city, and Akron
has made strides in improving during a difficult Ohio economy. Studying more than 300 cities for elements such as income, poverty and
employment, Brookings analysts report that Akron rose off the list of 65 cities classified
as "weak" and onto the list of cities showing significant improvement from
1990-2000 when compared to the decade of the '80s.
Also on that list of 17 cities is Toledo. But more urban centers in Ohio ranked
in the bottom third: Cleveland, Canton, Cincinnati, Dayton, Warren, Youngstown and
Mansfield.
Mayor Don Plusquellic, who has used a regional lens in his vision for the future of
Greater Akron, has also worked hard on urban housing, downtown revitalization and public
education issues.
"It hasn't been easy," said Plusquellic. "For many years, the State of
Ohio made it more difficult for cities, while favoring suburbs. For Ohio to succeed, we
must take a more comprehensive view. Akron does that, but can't do it alone."
Brookings studied two main categories: the city's economic conditions overall and the
well-being of residents. While Akronites' well being showed improvement, the city still
finds itself in the bottom third for the indicators that track job growth and annual
payroll.
Most of the struggling cities are located in the industrial
Midwest and the Northeastern U.S. Of the major cities in Ohio, excluding Columbus, Akron
has the largest middle class left within its city limits. Notable also is that the
surrounding region is facing economic hardship, mainly in making the transition from
so-called blue collar to white collar.
The Brookings report is titled: "Restoring
Prosperity: The State Role in Revitalizing America's Older Industrial Cities." It
advises states to invest more in urban core cities to improve economic conditions and to
do so with vigor and breadth.
Brookings will now do a more in depth look at Akron to find out how it has done what it
has done and to determine how Akron has performed since 2000. That report is expected by
this fall.
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