Problem-solving cities advance by sharing common traits

Cities around the world are reinventing themselves as hubs of prosperity and economic opportunity. It was not so long ago that civic leaders were largely concerned about a hollow urban core, legacy of disinvestment and a dearth of jobs that pay a decent wage. Now the conversation has shifted to how we prevent resident and business displacement as local economies heat up.

If we don’t act decisively, we risk leaving many of our neighbors behind as the economy grows around them. Inclusive economic growth will not happen accidentally. It requires a dedicated, intentional strategy — and cities must take the lead.

As the president of the Jpmorgan Chase Foundation — and as an urban studies graduate trained by Ohio State University professor Ned Hill when we were both at Cleveland State

University — I have had a front row seat to the urban transformation strategies tested in cities around the world, including right here in Columbus. In the past three years we have worked alongside Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Community Development for All People, the city of Columbus and many other partners working on the South Side to ensure that long-time residents are not displaced as the neighborhood housing market heats up.

Local families should have the opportunity to benefit from safe, clean and affordable housing, accessible health care, stronger schools and closer proximity to jobs that result from neighborhood improvements. So far, the Healthy Neighborhoods, Healthy Families Realty Collaborative has built, renovated or repaired 331 homes.

To help these partners accelerate their progress, we supported HNHF’S work in 2016 with a $1.5 million investment to develop 75 units of affordable rental housing on the South Side. And, in 2018, we doubled down on our commitment to affordable housing on the South Side with a $1 million investment in Ohio Capital Finance Corporation’s South Side Renaissance Fund, which is financing up to 170 units of affordable rental housing in the neighborhood. HNHF should serve as a strategic model for other cities to follow on how partners can best lock arms to address deep-seated challenges in urban communities.

While each city tailors its approach to moving a major inclusive growth agenda to the local context, we can see what is working and where cities are struggling to gain the traction. We featured Columbus and the work of the HNHF in Jpmorgan Chase’s Annual Corporate Responsibility Report, where we summarized the common attributes exhibited by city and civic leaders that are having the most success removing barriers to economic growth.

The 7 Traits of Advancing Cities:

• Lead and collaborate: Promote solid partnerships among all sectors to unite around the common goal of solving a city’s pressing problems.

• Plan for inclusive growth: Thoughtful development with forward-thinking strategies to help those most at risk of being left behind.

• Tackle a big problem by starting small: Breaking down problems to smaller parts to fully understand how they manifest and how to address them.

• Invest in data: A solution not driven by data is simply guessing.

• Activate community support: With an engaged and active community, cities can develop solutions that are responsive to residents’ needs and reflect a shared vision.

• Engage anchor institutions: Leveraging the power of anchor institutions like medical centers and universities creates a shared responsibility in the community.

• Take risks, adjust and iterate: Willingness to take risks and adjust as needed spurs innovation and opens doors to opportunity

As one of the largest private sector employers in central Ohio, we are invested in the economic success of the region. Research shows us that regions with greater economic disparities experience slower economic growth. Inclusive growth is clearly the right thing to do, but it’s also a smart economic strategy.

These are not abstract concepts to me. I grew up in northeast Ohio, in a community that shares many of the challenges faced by Columbus’ South Side and others around the country. Had I lived a few blocks to the east, I would have attended a high school with far greater resources than my own. This shaped my understanding of how much place matters — how where your family can afford to live can determine where you go to school, what kind of health care you can access or jobs that are available.

While I’m proud of my personal success, I have spent my professional career advocating for the talent that’s left on the table when opportunity is determined by ZIP code rather than potential.

The 7 Traits of Advancing Cities contain powerful lessons. When anchor institutions like Nationwide Children’s Hospital, civic leaders, nonprofits, government and business adopt a “we’re in this together” mindset, we can practice these lessons to cultivate communities where my story is not the exception — rather all residents have the opportunity to participate in and share the rewards of a growing economy.