A Decade of Impact

Ohio has an abundance of world-class medical and cultural centers, beautiful downtown and public squares, and enviable architecture. As the home of the Wright Brothers, Harvey Firestone, and Harriet Beecher Stowe, Ohio has a long history of innovation and talent. Yet as the state has weathered significant economic headwinds over the last 30 years, our patterns of development and land use have not adjusted to this new reality. As a result, our cities—large and small– have struggled to stay ahead of aging infrastructure, obsolete housing stock and commercial strips, and roadways designed for a different era.

In 2008, the Greater Ohio Policy Center burst onto Ohio’s advocacy scene, with an ambitious policy blueprint aimed at restoring prosperity in the state. In the last decade, GOPC has aided in the creation of county land banks, which have removed or rehabilitated more than 10,000 blighted properties around the state; fought to ensure our public transportation system, have the funding they need to serve workers and vulnerable Ohioans; quantified the economic benefits of mitigating contaminated land and repurposing former industrial sites; and disseminated practices and strategies that are helping Ohio’s weak-market cities, our legacy cities, stabilize and thrive.

Ohio is in a different place today that it was in 2008, but GOPC’s core issues and mission remain relevant. As GOPC continues to carry forward its mission to champion revitalization and sustainable growth throughout the state, we invite you to join us. Let’s continue to build on Ohio’s successes by recognizing potential, leveraging momentum, connecting people to places, and reviving our most important assets—our cities and towns. Together, we can ensure a Greater Ohio.