Happy Holidays from everyone at the Greater Ohio Policy Center!

2022 has been a year for Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC)! As we begin to look ahead to 2023, we take this opportunity to look back at all our accomplishments in 2022.

Assisting Communities Across Ohio

This year we were inspired, yet again, by the amazing leadership and redevelopment in Ohio’s communities. We had the privilege to: support community conversations in Richland Co.; develop a strategic work plan for housing with leaders Springfield; document the incredible impacts of the Franklin County land bank; and undertake research that will guide future strategic grantmaking by a local foundation.

"Reflect & Refocus." Greater Ohio Summit Returns

After a one-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, GOPC hosted our first in-person gathering with the 2022 Greater Ohio Summit, "Reflect and Refocus: Furthering Resilient Communities," brought together change-makers from Ohio’s local communities, along with state-level experts and leaders of all walks of life, to share best practices, facilitate connections, provide practical research, and champion public policy change that helps practitioners and policymakers build strong, revitalized communities.

All of the presentations are accessible via Google Docs by clicking here. During the Summit, GOPC announced the winners of the 2022 Greater Ohio Sustainable Development Awards, recognizing individuals and entities working to create vibrant and sustainable communities, cities, and regions in Ohio. You can learn more about our award winners, as well as the runners-up in each category here on our website.

Everyone at GOPC would like to thank our speakers, sponsors, award winners, board members, volunteers, and attendees for an insightful and successful 2022 Summit!

Reporting on Growth and Opportunity Throughout Ohio

The fall of 2022 saw the release of 3 major research reports by GOPC. In November, we released Ohio + Columbus: A Tale of Two States, which analyzes recent demographic and market data to identify significant trends in the state of Ohio and make the case for policy solutions that are sensitive to the different conditions in central Ohio and Ohio’s legacy cities and metros. .

We also released, Changing Neighborhoods, Changing Lives: The First 10 Years of COCIC's Impact on Franklin County which tracks the astonishing results achieved by the Central Ohio Community Improvement Corporation (COCIC) in its first decade as the county’s land bank, and highlights how essential COCIC continues to be to the future success of catalytic redevelopment and affordable housing initiatives in Franklin County.

Earlier this month, GOPC, in partnership with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, released, Building Equity: Equitable Real Estate Development Strategies for Weak Markets. This Working Paper identifies strategies that are applicable in predominantly weak real estate markets (aka “legacy cities”) and that can produce novel ways of delivering equity benefits.

All of these publications received considerable attention in statewide media and are available for review on our publications page.

Analyzing the Impacts of Policy Success

2022 saw the impacts of GOPC's advocacy success of 2021 through the roll out of the Brownfield Revitalization Fund and the continued distribution of increased funding for Ohio's public transit systems.

To document these successes, GOPC released two reports. Building on Momentum: An Argument for State Investment in Public Transit in Ohio, which 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 transpiration since 2019.

The Benefits of Brownfields: Analysis of the Brownfield Remediation Funds Round 1 Awards & Preliminary Programmatic Recommendations analyzes the $252 million awarded to date and makes the case for another $500 million in state funding in the next state Operating Budget. The paper also recommends one adjustment to the current program to help communities, especially smaller and more rural communities, successfully compete for future funds.

Looking Ahead

2023 holds many opportunities to continue to build on the opportunities of our past successes. Be sure to join us on Wednesday, January 11, 11am-12pm for an overview of our 2023 Public Policy Platform, Reflect & Refocus: Furthering Resilient Communities. You must register in advance in order to attend this Zoom event. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Following the presentation, participants will be able to ask questions. The session will be recorded and archived for future viewing if you are unable to attend.

2023 will also see our hosting of the 2023 Ohio Brownfields Conference on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 in Columbus. More details will be released in the weeks ahead, but for now. you can sign-up to receive details including event location and when registration will open.

If you too believe in creating vibrant, sustainable cities and regions in Ohio, consider supporting GOPC with an end-of-year contribution. We thank you for your generous support.

All the best for 2023!

Pictured Above: The GOPC Fur Babies (L-R) Supreme (Jahvene Davis), Baker Mayfield (Jason Warner), Gracie & Ivan (Alison Goebel), Oakley (Meg Montgomery), Marty (Jacob Gagnon), Henry & Harper (Aaron Clapper), and Pepper (Erica Spaid Patras)