For more than 30 years now, the Youngstown-Warren metropolitan area has been variously dubbed "distressed," "declining," or "weak" in an endless stream of studies comparing the economic livelihood of cities across the United States.
For just as long, committees, task forces or focus groups have formed here to craft solutions to the problems those studies identified.
Too often, though, these groups merely gave the appearance of action and disbanded long before making any serious dents into our region's economic instability.
So it's to no one's surprise that a new report from The Brookings Institution, a prestigious nonprofit Washington-based research think tank, once again targets Youngstown and Warren as cities in decline.
The report, "Restoring Prosperity," identifies the Valley's two core cities and some 60 others across the nation as missing out on the economic renaissance many other American cities are enjoying.
This time, however, we hold out serious hope that the Brookings study will not be one that simply collects dust. This time, we hold out serious hope that it can serve as a road map for concrete, targeted proposals to energize the Valley's ongoing revitalization.
Why the optimism?
First, impressive is the speed at which community members responded to the report and showed a willingness to effect positive change. Within one week of the report's release, more than 200 people attended a forum to begin the arduous process of transforming study to action.
Second, strong organization — complete with meaningful division of labor and stringent timetables for completion — has characterized the initial study phase.
Five committees will study five key areas — fixing the basics, such as improving schools and reducing crime; building on economic strengths, such as upgrading downtown cultural and entertainment sites; focusing on strengths, such as advanced manufacturing; transforming the physical landscape, such as improving infrastructure and growing the middle class; and creating strong neighborhoods.
Clearly, the study groups are not wandering aimlessly in a sea of economic abstractions.
Third, there is momentum on the side of the study groups. Despite Brookings' surface-level tales of gloom and doom in Youngstown and Warren, an urban renaissance has been quietly but successfully taking root in the Valley — particularly where it counts most, in downtown Youngstown. Recent and ongoing success stories — Youngstown 2010, Wick Neighbors, the Chevrolet Centre, Youngstown Business Incubator and the Youngstown State University Centennial Master Plan — are redefining and re-energizing the core area of the core city of the Mahoning Valley.
Despite the pluses, the work will neither be easy nor quick. That's why we hope committee members take to heart recommendations from the institute to ensure a strong support system from the state. Gov. Ted Strickland's administration has already pledged its cooperation with the report's aims. Committee members must find ways to ensure that they identify projects that will result in the biggest bang from a limited pot of state bucks.
Broader view
As they work, we also suggest panelists take a broader view at the study to note that cities in decline 10 years ago have moved off the Brookings' distressed list. Those include Akron and Toledo in Ohio. Networking with leaders from those and other rebounding cities can offer guidance in building specific planks for the Valley's action plan.
For now, though, the focus must be placed squarely on studying the problems, setting realistic goals and working with Brookings and state leaders to build attainable solutions. The groups have set a six-month deadline for an action plan. That deadline must be firm, and panelists must work expeditiously but productively to meet it.
The sooner the action plan can be implemented, the sooner the Youngstown-Warren Metropolitan Area may once and for all lose those worn-out monikers of "distressed," "decaying" and "declining" and replace them with the likes of "revitalized," "resurgent" and "resilient."