City Solutions Blog

The Ohio Mayors Alliance was founded ten years ago to give Ohio’s largest cities a stronger voice at the state legislature and to foster collaboration among mayors and the cities they lead. To celebrate OMA’s 10th year, we are taking time to reflect on the evolution of Ohio’s largest core cities, their impact on the state, and their importance to setting the stage for Ohio’s future.

Over the next 25 years, Ohio is projected to continue to lose population, especially as compared to neighboring states, eroding the state’s national influence and weakening its long-term economic prospects. As other states use their unique advantages to grow and attract talent, Ohio must do the same.

Ohio has a large number of large metropolitan and smaller micropolitan areas, all of which are anchored by core cities. We believe that these cities and their regions – including surrounding communities and rural areas – create a unique strategic advantage that Ohio should capitalize on to catalyze growth and prosperity. Compared to most other US states, Ohio’s economy is more balanced across numerous cities and regions. As a result, Ohio is more regionally diverse and less dependent on one single region or city to drive its economic prosperity. As Ohio seeks to reverse population decline and create new opportunities for jobs and investment, Ohio must invest in the cities that drive Ohio’s economy, attract young people and workers, and lend Ohio’s diverse regions their unique character and culture.

Urban and rural areas are mutually intertwined and deeply interdependent on each other for success. Rural counties adjacent to metropolitan areas are more successful. Proximity to Ohio’s big cities attracts businesses and workers, and expanding the housing and community options available to families within and around our largest cities creates more opportunities for all Ohioans to share in each other’s success. But the Cleveland metropolitan region, for example, cannot thrive if the City of Cleveland does not thrive. Thus, over the course of the next year, OMA will be celebrating the uniqueness and importance of Ohio’s cities, and making the case that investing strategically in our core cities is the best way to ensure that the entire State of Ohio reverses negative trends.

Ohio’s cities are the foundation for a brighter future, and embracing their potential is essential to reversing population decline, strengthening the economy, and ensuring the state remains a vibrant place to live, work, and thrive.

To learn more, read our new report HERE.