Growing Inward

The Queen City Survey has a very thoughtful, nigh impassioned post about how to grow our fair city. I encourage everyone to read it in its entirety. To answer his question - "What are those things – projects or otherwise – that will grow this city inward and what will get us moving in a positive direction quickly?" - my thoughts on the matter (in no particular order):

1. The streetcar proposal is the single most important big ticket/development issue. While it may not be the best deal economically at this time, we must strike while the political iron is hot. Despite the valid arguments that Cincinnati is not Portland, the car is king here, etc. I firmly believe that someday - someday - this type of mass transit will be at the national forefront again, as we run into imminent transportation and energy issues. Importantly, the streetcar must link uptown to downtown, with OTR in-between, to link two of the largest residential/employee bases in the city.
   
2. Over-the-Rhine must be developed, as it can be and has been, as long as the city and the naysayers stay out of the way. IIRC, OTR used to be home to over 50,000 people back in the day. Today less than 10,000 call it home. OTR can accomodate many more residents and can add 40,000 to the city's population if it lives up to its potential. (I would say, let's build a ballpark in OTR, but we know how that turned out.)
   
3. Apart from development-type issues, education stands at the forefront. Cincinnati Public Schools must be successful and families must not hesitate to send their children there if Cincinnati is to thrive. Interestingly, if #1 and #2 above succeed, and the demographics of the city change, CPS may improve simply by having better raw materials to teach. That said, it is the children in CPS today who will become Cincinnati's residents tomorrow, and they deserve the best chances to be productive citizens.