Publications
Research that makes an impact
Since 2021, Ohio’s General Assembly has committed $900 million to support brownfield assessments and cleanup projects. The Brownfield Remediation Program (BRP) and its significant investment has established a new precedent around brownfield remediation and redevelopment efforts since the sunset of the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund in 2013. The BRP is on track to catalyze significant economic impacts and community benefits across Ohio.
Local actors have a lot to juggle and the options for equitable development programming can be overwhelming. So how can community leaders determine which strategies and programming to pursue? This toolkit offers a roadmap for identifying suitable equitable development programming that is driven by an evaluation of a community’s unique assets. This approach is based on the framework outlined in Moving Beyond Conventional Economic Development Practice: An Asset-Based Framework for Sustainable Communities and it builds on the principles described in Equitably Developing America’s Smaller Legacy Cities and Equitable Real Estate Development Strategies for Weak Markets.
The cities of Warren and Youngstown have seen a considerable drop in vacant housing since 2020, while the number of minority, women and EDGE-certified businesses has doubled in these communities. These are just two of the encouraging trends highlighted in a new two-part report developed by the Greater Ohio Policy Center on behalf of The Raymond John Wean Foundation, an organization dedicated to community revitalization within the Mahoning Valley.
The reports provide a comprehensive view of the current conditions of the cities of Warren and Youngstown as they compare to Trumbull and Mahoning counties, respectively, and the state of Ohio. They are designed to provide accurate, up-to-date information for both the Wean Foundation and its grantee partners to better understand areas that have seen improvements and where there are opportunities for greater support. The reports include data on population, housing, employment, education, and more.
Access the Warren Current Conditions report and the Youngstown report at weanfoundation.org/resource-library/.
Housing production has slowed, prices have surged, and community leaders are searching for tools to address these challenges effectively.
The Ohio REALTORS™ and Greater Ohio Policy Center have developed this guidebook which offers three voluntary tools that local governments, developers, land banks, and homeowners can use to promote infill housing across Ohio.
These tools can be applied individually or in combination to overcome barriers to housing development on vacant lots in established neighborhoods.
The Eastgate Regional Council of Governments has unveiled a Regional Housing Strategy for Mahoning and Trumbull Counties. Developed by the Greater Ohio Policy Center and Reinvestment Fund, the Strategy provides recommendations for programs and initiatives that will help continue to stabilize and strengthen housing markets in the Mahoning Valley.
Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) is proud to share “The Benefits of Brownfields for Ohio’s Communities: An Analysis of the Brownfield Remediation Program Over the Past Three Years”. This white paper examines the $659 million awarded between 2022 and 2024 for the Brownfield Remediation Program. The white paper also makes the case for allocating additional dollars to a statewide brownfield grant program in the next state Operating Budget.
The Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) has been advocating for greater investment in Active Transportation for the past several years. This work has involved growing the availability of resources at the state level, as well as working with local communities to raise awareness about the availability of resources at the federal, state, and philanthropic levels. We have also worked to educate communities throughout Ohio by highlighting well-developed active transportation projects and initiatives throughout the state.
Legacy cities and older suburbs often have a difficult time attracting residential developers, even though there is a great need for new housing units. Many historical factors increase development risk beyond what private investors can tolerate, including complicated older sites, low sales prices, antiquated regulations, and lending restrictions.
The guide provides tips for implementing an active transportation project, funding sources communities in Ohio can access, and technical assistance programs at the state and federal levels that can help plan and fund projects. The showcased projects range from modest in scale to complete overhauls of a district streetscape.
The city of Akron, in partnership with GOPC and the Reinvestment Fund, has released the Akron Housing Action Plan and Market Value Analysis. The Action Plan and Market Value Analysis will help city officials and other leaders in Akron spur new housing development, keep long-time residents in their homes, and improve the quality of existing homes for all Akron residents.
Community leaders in Portsmouth have recently released the Portsmouth Housing Action Plan, which focuses on strategies to increase housing options in the city. This Plan is a second phase of work by the Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC), which completed a housing market analysis for Portsmouth in 2021.
The Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) has released a white paper Unlocking Opportunity: Ohio’s Brownfield Remediation Fund Awards & The Benefit of Brownfields, which analyzes the full grant awards for the Brownfield Remediation Fund and makes the case for additional funding for environmental clean-up.
Building on Momentum: An Argument for State Investment in Public Transit in Ohio, provides an assessment of both the current status of the state's public transportation infrastructure and capacity. The report focuses on why, given shortages of reliable workers, and a growing number of rural elderly and disabled residents who need transportation options, it is critical for Ohio to continue to maintain and grow the historic investments which have been made in public transportation since 2019.
The Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) has released a multi-year strategic housing plan for Springfield. Quality Housing for All: A Four-Year Strategic Plan for Springfield provides community leaders with a roadmap to address current and future housing needs in Springfield. Community leaders have elevated housing as a communitywide priority.
Leaders in the City of Portsmouth identified housing as an important component of city’s revitalization journey, launching a comprehensive housing analysis as a first step to understand housing conditions across the city. Various community partners engaged the Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) to analyze market rate and affordable housing conditions within the municipality.
