What Works in Revitalizing Distressed Older Suburban Areas?

Jonathan Morgan is a School of Government faculty member. This is a continuation of the series of blog posts focused on "What Works" in economic development.  Two previous posts (Part I, Part II)  identified some effective strategies for incubating small start-up businesses. This post highlights a recent study that offers insight into what communities can do to revitalize older suburban areas that are experiencing chronic economic and social distress.

The findings are presented in a report titled "Revitalizing Distressed Older Suburbs" that was prepared by participating researchers involved in the What Works Collaborative, which is funded by several foundations interested in promoting evidence-based housing and urban policy in the U.S.  The researchers conducted in-depth case studies of four distressed suburban areas with majority African American populations:

• East Cleveland, Ohio  (pop. 17K)
• Inkster, Michigan (suburb of Detroit; pop. 25K)
• Chester, Pennsylvania (midway between Philadelphia and Wilmington, DE; pop. 34K)
• Prichard, Alabama (suburb of Mobile; pop. 23K)

Once prosperous and vibrant, all four of these suburban cities now suffer from high poverty, declining employment, fiscal pressures, low-performing schools, sub-standard housing, and shrinking populations. The report discusses the lessons learned from the case study research related to the following issues and their roles in revitalizing older distressed suburbs:

• housing and community development
• concentrated poverty
• trust in government
• anchor institutions
• education
• local government capacity
• regional collaboration
• state programs