postcard message OHIO

  • First Suburbs is the name of three affiliated consortiums of inner-ring suburban communities around Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio. These two dozen communities are developing a common agenda that largely focuses on growth, transportation, and economic development issues. As described on their Web page:
    "The concept of a First Suburbs Consortium was originated in Northeastern Ohio in 1997. A group of first ring suburban officials from the east and west sides of Cleveland held an historic summit to discuss our strengths, needs, and problems. We found that we were beginning to experience the same type of problems our urban core noted in the sixities and seventies. Our infrastructure was aging ... our business and industrial base was beginning to slip away; and our housing stock was becoming dated and less attractive to new home buyers. ...

    We recognized that state and federal policies were making us less competitive with high growth areas. We realized a regional and statewide solution to our problems was needed."

  • The Ohio Chapter of the Sierra Club provides a variety of resources on fighting sprawl in Ohio, including a transportation action guide and a fact sheet on how sprawl is affecting the state.

  • The Sustainable Cincinnati web site includes information on various regional efforts aimed at sustainable development and better growth management.

  • The Cuyahoga County Planning Commission reports that sprawl is the highest ranked environmental problem for the Northeastern Ohio region. This is the conclusion of a two-year comparative risk assessment conducted by a committee of 65 civic, professional, academic, and business leaders.

    Top please! return to state index

    Do you know of a state or local program we haven't listed that fights sprawl? If so, please e-mail us the information at: editor@plannersweb.com, and we'll include it here.

    		•