New American City Faces Its Regional Future: A Cleveland Perspective

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Within a hundred years of its founding in 1796 at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, Cleveland became one of the great commercial and industrial centers of the nation. The city was the heart of the region's population, wealth, and political clout. By the end of Cleveland's second century, however, the city was a much smaller player in a Greater Cleveland metropolitan area. Wealthier residents, jobs, and votes had moved out to new suburbs or even to outlying counties. What had been a dominant urban center in which citizens of all incomes and ethnic backgrounds shared a common identity had evolved into a sprawling, multi-county metropolitan area increasingly divided by race and class.

As Cleveland enters its third century, its fate is intertwined with the region. The city must look beyond its political boundaries and engage the region as a partner in developing strategies for recovery. To paraphrase urban expert Paul Porter, Cleveland will truly earn its place as the Comeback City when it is competitive as a place to live, invest, and generate jobs, and as a consequence regain its independence from external subsidies.

Similarly, the growing suburbs must understand their dependence on the historic central city and be drawn into the Cleveland community. And people throughout the region must adjust to new civic roles as regional citizens.