Christmas in the stable
Christmas around the world
Charlie Brown Xmas trees
Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > June > 01 > Entry
Guest column: Dayton, ‘dying cities’ fighting back
By Peter Benkendorf and Mike Elsass
American humorist Mark Twain said the reports of his death were greatly exaggerated.
While there is nothing funny about dying cities, it seems the report of the death of 10 American cities, as declared by Forbes.com last summer, was equally premature.
This summer, from Aug. 7-9, neighborhood activists, artists, public officials, academics and the media from the so-called “10 Fast Dying Cities” list — Buffalo, Canton, Charleston, Cleveland, Dayton, Detroit, Flint, Scranton, Springfield, Mass., and Youngstown — will be gathering in Dayton to share and celebrate the most innovative community revitalization projects taking place in their cities.
We’ve dubbed the gathering the “Forbes 10 Fast Dying Cities Symposium and Arts Festival: Celebrating the Human Spirit.” (Read more at www.tenlivingcities.org.)
There is no doubt that these cities — nine of which are in the Midwest — have fallen on hard times. But if citizens make the community, and not the other way around, then the dubious distinction of the Forbes list is serving as a powerful call to action for people who care too much about their hometowns to let them die.
In Buffalo, an innovative program has been developed to use local labor to demolish and salvage vacant houses. What a terrific model: one program that offers employment, reduces material going to landfills and raises revenue through the sale of reusable building supplies and architectural artifacts, while starting a process of bringing neighborhoods back to health.
In Flint, the Genesee County Land Bank was recently recognized by Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government for its work returning foreclosed properties to the tax rolls, or, when gifted, to a higher and better condition than when received.
In Dayton, the public and private sectors have come together to create the Greater Downtown Plan, a bold vision for business and residential repopulation of downtown during the next decade.
Across the board, we are seeing adaptive reuse of buildings, a commitment to green space and neighborhood gardens, investments in our waterfronts and new collaborative ventures dedicated to creating community wealth. A number of cities are deploying “local currency” programs as an economic-development tool, and there is a return to volunteerism, as a survival necessity, but also as a source of personal fulfillment that is affecting real change.
Everything in nature has a life cycle. Cities are no different. We can wallow in our situation, or we can see this moment as an opportunity to invest.
Look at the Kalamazoo Promise, which pays for college education to students who finish high school. The program has created a buzz for Kalamazoo and is being replicated around the country.
So what might the Youngstown Promise or the Scranton Promise look like?
The intellectual, organizational, financial, emotional and spiritual resources to transform our cities already exist. We can choose not to confront our challenges — because they seem too expensive and complex — or we can resolve to determine new futures.
It will take, however, a different kind of approach, involving business, government, community organizations, and the people to produce the as yet unseen levels of engagement, imagination, partnership and progressive pragmatism that will define 21st century communities.
And that is what the “Forbes 10 Fast Dying Cities Symposium and Arts Festival” is about. Not a wake, but a rebirth. The symposium will feature:
— Discussion of community wealth creation, collaboration, green planning and regionalism.
— Breakout sessions on the role of media, libraries, universities, government and the private sector in revitalization.
— Presentations of the most innovative projects in each city.
—Panel discussions and brainstorming sessions to share ideas about what is working well and not so well.
— New relationships and new possibilities.
Every idea is the spark for another. Every inspiration is the source of new inspiration. And the arts festival, including the creation of a collaborative piece by artists from all 10 cities, will demonstrate that we are truly alive, thank you very much.
Peter Benkendorf, executive director of Involvement Advocacy, and Mike Elsass, owner of the Color of Energy gallery, both of Dayton, are the originators of the “Forbes 10 Fast Dying Cities Symposium and Arts Festival.”
Permalink | Comments (8) | Post your comment | Categories: City of Dayton, Guest Columns
Comments
By George
June 1, 2009 7:45 AM | Link to this
While yet another major employer plans to leave the area, I am comforted to know that we have a dedication to “green space and “green planning”.WAKE UP PEOPLE. A nice lawn does not create jobs. Risk-taking entrepreneurs do. And they are generally pretty smart-smart enough to realize that a state and local government that burdens them with oppressive taxation and meddlesome regulation probably doesn’t want them here anyway. We desperately need new leadership in our city and our state. It can not come soon enough.By tg
June 1, 2009 8:59 AM | Link to this
Corporations don’t leave because of opppresive taxes here - they leave because someone else has bribed them with tax credits that will only harm their community in the long run. And that same company will move as soon as somoene else makes a better offer.By David in Dayton
June 1, 2009 9:50 AM | Link to this
George, Green spaces create jobs for Landscapers, and stimulate the economy via gardens, floal and vegetable. Urban families can grow some food. We Communites can create festivals forBy George
June 1, 2009 12:32 PM | Link to this
David in Dayton, you are right. If we tear down an office building and plant grass, we will create a job or two-in exchange for LOSING HUNDREDS?? I have always considered myself to be of average to slightly above average in intellect. However, posings like this and other logic devoid comments I read in this paper make me feel like a genious. Is everyone else really that ignorant?By FedUp Voter
June 1, 2009 7:10 PM | Link to this
I thinks though dost protest too much! (Get out the shovel….)By Neonmoon
June 1, 2009 9:20 PM | Link to this
Hate to burst your bubble, but you speak of community wealth creation, the thugs will find a way to steal it and in the process probably shoot someone and as soon as the thugs find out how much architectural artifacts are worth there won’t be a house in the city safe from the thieving thugs. Dayton was a thriving think tank before the thugs took over. You need to find a way to get them the hell out of the city for good.By Believer in Human Capital
June 2, 2009 6:54 AM | Link to this
To those who would say the problem is the “thugs” who have taken over the city: who allowed them to do it? We did by either moving to the subburbs or otherwise by not doing something about it. Everyone can do something if only attend a neighborhood meeting to discuss the issues. The “thugs” did not take it over, we let the city go.By Neonmoon
June 2, 2009 9:35 AM | Link to this
Another bubble to burst. Tell us exactly what anyone was to do to save the neighborhoods of Dayton. I have been in or around Dayton for 60 years, born here and I have watched it go to HELL. Talk is cheap.After 40 yrs in the same house my Mom lives in fear now. What is an 83 yr old supposed to be doing? Let’s go to another meeting…..