How will we create a Cincinnati that stands strong and united, that is constantly progressing and improving, that the rest of the country can look to as a model of urban success? Here I offer a brief outline of the policies I would see our City Council put into action, so Cincinnati can truly embody the picture of urban achievement.
Building Strong Livable Neighborhoods:
Every neighborhood in Cincinnati should thrive. I'm committed to helping every neighborhood build a "model of success" at its core that includes:
- A thriving, walkable business district that anchors a strong neighborhood economy: We must begin by coordinating with community councils to assess the strengths, weaknesses, resources, and assets of each neighborhood. Then we can encourage small business development by increasing funding for the CDBNU and promoting the Cincinnati Business Incubator.
- Streets that are safe to walk and live on: If we want to see all of Cincinnati's streets made safe to walk at any hour, we need comprehensive policing programs that are integrated into, not imposed upon, our communities. We must reinstate the Neighborhood Officer Program, as well as our walking and sheriff patrols.
- Communal areas around schools that are clean, safe, and that cater to the development of our youth: Community centers must truly embody the collective spirit of the neighborhood they serve. By coordinating the activities of local businesses, recreation centers, schools, libraries, and neighborhood safety and health centers in one central location, we can instill a true sense of community in the daily activities of Cincinnati residents. Each neighborhood needs an inviting recreation center, with plenty of green space, that will bring residents together and keep our youth healthy and productive.
Care for Our Youth:
If we are to truly and permanently eliminate youth crime, we must increase our commitment to eliminating the root causes of crime and violence in our city. We need increased funding for cost-effective diversion, as well as mental health and substance abuse treatment. Our community recreation facilities and programming need the structuring and the financing that will allow them to attract potentially troubled youth. We must get our youth involved in community life. Only by experiencing the vital role they can play in making the world a better place, will our youth turn away from crime, and toward education. To accomplish this, the city needs to partner with Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) to:
- Integrate students into neighborhood life through service learning, including internships and apprenticeships with local businesses and entities
- Provide real and ongoing job opportunities
- Improve afterschool programs so that hard-to-reach youth are attracted to their school environments, and feel comfortable, welcomed, and appreciated in their schools. We can build on he model of success attained at Elementz.
Provide Economic Opportunities for All:
We have a moral obligation to spread the benefits of our growing economy to all neighborhoods and citizens. To do so we must:
- Improve public transportation so that low-income workers have better access to job opportunities in the city. We can begin by increasing transit routes to our outlying suburbs,
- Provide support for small neighborhood-based businesses. In our least developed neighborhoods, we need to offer tax incentives for new job creation, as well as for enterprise expansion, to community businesses. If we are to spread economic development evenly across our city, we must target these efforts in the struggling communities of our city, not simply concentrate economic growth where development is already underway.
- Ensure that the Banks construction project - and all major, urban developments - evenly distribute high quality jobs among all Cincinnatians. When we embark on large-scale development projects in our city, we must always emphasize a strong inclusion policy, as well as responsible contracting practices.
By integrating neighborhood economic development and a school-based youth jobs initiative, we will create on-the-ground opportunities that will energize our neighborhood economies.
The bottom line is that all three of my priority areas will work together to create neighborhood synergies that bring broad-based improvements to the lives of all Cincinnatians.
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