Ednium: The Alumni Collective’s Post

A lot of people keep asking me about this, so decided I’ll take this lovely Friday to explain how good the Browns moving out of downtown Cleveland is for the city overall. The Cleveland of old is gone. There is no economic catalyst in this city. The city’s reputation was built on manufacturing, however geopolitics and corporate interests drove manufacturing out of the USA over 25+ years ago. Cleveland has failed to turn the page, and now it’s being turned for them. Now is the moment to acknowledge, the future is here and you’ll either have to participate in the progress or cry about history. The Browns moving out of downtown Cleveland impacting local SMBs is unfortunately an admission of just how strong those businesses even are. Kids make money in college from event planning, as an adult you can’t run a business like that. If 8 home games a year really make or break your business, you have a brick and mortar pop-up shop. Sorry. A private entity can’t be the economic catalyst to your city, especially when the geography itself is a bad business partner. The Browns won’t miss a beat 15 minutes down the street, but Cleveland will hurt. It’s a very dangerous game to intertwine the two, especially when the brand of teams you’re trying to create a foundation off of are normally losing teams. The Cowboys don’t play in Dallas, and the Patriots don’t play in Boston. Dallas and Boston aren’t going hungry as cities because they’re GDP isn’t reliant on a sports team. If you ask me, I’m excited that the city will be left with no other choice but to reinvent itself or die. There’s no cure for stubbornness but force and that’s what Cleveland is getting. If you don’t eat your lunch, someone else will. Coastal money looks at the Midwest as the next geography of interest in the US due to geo-specific climate issues, mass illegal immigration, and growing housing crises on the coasts. A massive hole on the lake creates a transformative lakefront development opportunity. Cleveland needs to worry about how to create new industry by leveraging pre-existing infrastructure. How to utilize the excess of industrial/commercial into a new asset-class that needs it. How to develop a freshwater economy (multiple avenues), the list goes on. If Cleveland’s lakefront becomes like Chicago, a new city will be upon us. #Cleveland #BrownsStadium #NewCleveland #ClevelandSMB

Downtown is BACK! “A new study of more than 60 downtowns across the U.S. and Canada places downtown Minneapolis at the top of the pack when it comes to an increase in visitors over the past year…A previous Downtown Recovery study in mid-2023 by the University of Toronto’s School of Cities determined that downtown Minneapolis was third to last in foot traffic recovery compared to the same period in 2019.” This type of progress doesn’t happen by accident, but is the result of hard work by small businesses, city leaders, local organizations, and community organizers. But most importantly this type of progress is the result on Minnesotans showing up and investing their time, money, and energy in the small businesses and local events at the forefront of downtown’s resurgence. Keep up the good work, Minnesota! #ShopLocal #ReadLocal #VoteLocal

For business decision-makers, choosing a new city is no small task. It’s a decision based on countless questions—for the business itself, but also about the suitability for its employees and their families. One question that has to be asked: Will my employees be happy here? When New York City is the city in question, the answer is clear, but it goes beyond the city’s postcard images of towering skyscrapers, bustling crowds, and Lady Liberty. Because New York isn’t just a place to live. It’s a way to live—among the parks, schools, transit, and culture that fill the city’s five boroughs.

I'm captivated by two fictional towns: Morningburg and Twilight City, featured in The Atlantic's "Europe’s Real Crisis." I recently reread this article, which draws parallels between these towns and Europe's challenges, including aging infrastructure and demographic shifts. The key difference? Median age - 28 in Morningburg and 58 in Twilight City. But outside of that, I am drawn by the imagery of how communities can thrive and die by our own convictions and complacencies. Morningburg thrives on visionary leadership and a culture embracing change and risk with purpose of prosperity for all. In contrast, Twilight City resists change, prioritizing comfort over growth. This story resonates with the growth we see around central Ohio and beyond. I think about Columbus’ recent zoning updates and nationally how California's Department of Education is discussing innovative uses of school land for affordable housing for teachers. There's more to it, but for the sake of discussion these examples highlight the importance of bold leadership and community-focused decision-making for tomorrow. As we lead our communities into the future, let's embrace risks that drive sustainable growth and ensure all voices weigh in so we can make that change fit our individual communities, while supporting their storied histories...and before it's in someone else’s control. The question is: Will we become dynamic boomtowns like Morningburg or settle for Twilight City's comfort at the cost of progress? I highly recommend reading this article. 👇 https://lnkd.in/gaU4b9cS #communityleadership #economicdevelopment

**GARY - THE MAGIC CITY** The vision of Gary, Indiana was conceptualized and manifested at the turn of the 20th Century by influential business moguls J.P. Morgan, Charles Schwab, Andrew Carnegie, and Elbert Gary in a boardroom in New York City 🗽 Their objective? Building a centrally located steel conglomerate and city 🏭 with access to fresh water 💧rail 🛤 and proximity to Chicago 🏙 Gary is also strategically located within 100 miles of prestigious institutions like Notre Dame, Purdue, University of Chicago, and Northwestern 🎓. Established in 1906, Gary rapidly grew into a city of greater than 100,000 people by 1930, becoming the nation's youngest major city! Considering the astounding growth, Gary earned the moniker, "The Magic City" ✨️. Gary's original plat was modeled after Manhattan, its cardinal thoroughfares were named Broadway Avenue (North-South) and 5th Avenue (East-West) the intersection of these thoroughfares marks the epicenter of our Downtown. By the 1950s, Gary grew to become Indiana's 2nd largest city; Whose influence served as a powerhouse to the State’s economy and tax base, 'The Center of Industry'. Despite its current real and perceived challenges, Gary's original ingredients for success remain intact even after 114 years other assets developed overtime include an international airport and coast to coast interstate highways corridors. We are confidently aware that we still have the magic and potential to serve as a economic powerhouse for the Nation. Let's celebrate Gary's Boom Town history and it's potential for a bright and booming future! 🏙️ #GaryIndiana #HistoryMatters #BrightFuture #GreaterGary #NorthwestIndiana #MeltonMomentum

"Durham is perhaps best known as the northern tip of North Carolina’s prestigious “research triangle,” a tri-city area home to some of the nation’s most prestigious research universities. (The other two tips of the triangle are neighboring Chapel Hill and Raleigh.) Durham, for its part, boasts Duke University and the historically Black college North Carolina Central University — both of which recently made Money’s list of best colleges. For most cities, that would be the whole story. But Durham is no one-trick pony. For starters, Durham’s economy is one to envy. Jobs are expected to grow 6% in the coming years, soundly above the national average. The city’s unemployment rate is also notably lower than North Carolina’s as a whole. The city is also a proud hub for Black entrepreneurs, with a long history of successful Black-owned enterprises. Mechanics and Farmers (M&F) Bank, which played a pivotal role in helping build Black wealth in the early 1900s when other banks refused service to Black locals, still operates today out of a stunning historic building on Parrish Street. If you’re more interested in a different type of green — nature, that is — Durham’s got more than 1,600 acres of parklands, a 22-mile biking and walking trail, two city lakes, easy access to the multi-state East Coast Greenway and the gargantuan Duke Forest. (Full disclosure: North Carolina is one of a handful of states where the other other type of green is still illegal.) Urbanites will feel at home, too. A sizable number of breweries have sprouted up downtown. Thanks to legendary staples such as The Chicken Hut and the Backyard BBQ Pit, Durham is also garnering a national reputation as a soul-food and barbecue paradise. At the American Tobacco Campus, a stunningly revitalized tobacco-factory complex, there’s no shortage of other restaurants, shops, markets and events to peruse. Now here’s the best part: All of these perks come at a fraction of the price of Durham’s research-city sisters. While housing costs have gone up across the board in North Carolina, both rent and median home prices in Durham tend to be more affordable than Raleigh and Chapel Hill." #bullcity #bullcitync #bestofthetriangle #keepitdirtydurham #strongtowns #durm #bestplacestolive

We're very proud to celebrate Dr. Huijun Tan, who defended her dissertation yesterday on the Effects of Physical Accessibility and Subjective Accessibility on Grocery Shopping Behaviors in Oakland, California. She just became the newest PhD from PSU Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning, Portland State University! The study surveyed 306 affordable housing residents in Oakland to analyze grocery shopping frequency, the variety of stores visited, and travel distances. As Oakland and similar cities transition into the post-pandemic era, the findings stress the critical need to rethink public transit and urban infrastructure to adapt to changing resident needs. Addressing the intertwined challenges of safety, homelessness, and gentrification requires integrated strategies that fostered sustainable, inclusive urban environments.

York Pennsylvania announces launching its new comprehensive plan, York 2044, a forward-thinking blueprint designed to guide the city’s growth and development over the next two decades. This ambitious plan aims to create a sustainable and complete community for all residents. York 2044: A Vision for a Sustainable Community has identified the following goals: + Challenging York’s Reputation. + Improving Property Conditions. + Making Homelessness Brief, Rare, and Non-Recurring. + Increasing Access to Health Services. + Eliminating Food Insecurity. + Building Wealth Within Neighborhoods. + Building Socially Cohesive Neighborhoods. + Creating a Supportive Transportation System. + Reducing Our Carbon Footprint and Greenhouse Gases. York's Mayor Michael Helfrich stated, “York 2044 represents our community’s collective vision for the future of York City. This plan is a testament to our commitment to including the needs of all residents, businesses, and visitors, while creating a city that is not only prosperous but also sustainable. We are excited to embark on this journey together with our community.” The comprehensive plan will be available for public review and feedback starting September 13, 2024, with adoption occurring at the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025.

Discover the key findings from our comprehensive analysis comparing Morgantown to Blacksburg, Charlottesville, and Asheville. Learn about the business opportunities and how we can foster economic growth in our downtown area. Read the full report below. #EconomicDevelopment #Morgantown #BusinessOpportunities #WestVirginia

Urban Public Policy Fellowship (UPPF) Alumni Ryan Fulgham was recently cited in a Crain's Chicago Business article entitled, "The high cost of Chicago rent burdens both tenants and landlords". The article highlights the dwindling options for affordable rental housing for renters of the lowest incomes in Chicago. Fulgham's work is cited in the Preserving Affordable Units section of the article: "Chicago once was home to many single-room occupancy, or SRO, hotels and rooming houses, which catered to people who could afford only a small studio or tiny apartment. Despite a 2014 city ordinance to preserve SROs, the number has continued to decline at a faster rate than projected — particularly in Uptown, where many SROs were located, according to research by Ryan Fulgham of the Institute for Policy & Civic Engagement at the University of Illinois Chicago." Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gnwUiKq8