A very interesting article appeared in Crain’s Cleveland Business by Jay Miller discussing “jobs sprawl” and the lack of easy access to jobs.

Brad Whitehead, president of the Fund, points to a study by the Center for Neighborhood Technologies, a Chicago nonprofit that focuses on making cities work better, that found that housing costs in Greater Clevelanders are low, but people here spend more of their money on housing plus transportation — 41% of their income — than people in Boston, 38%, or New York, 39%.

Similarly, a 2015 study by the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C., think tank, found that between 2000 and 2012, the number of jobs near the average person in the Cleveland metropolitan area declined by 26.5%, the steepest decline among 96 metropolitan areas. The Akron metro ranked 84th. Part of that loss of job access is the result of an overall decline in jobs in the region, a 2.5% loss between 2002 and 2014, according to the U.S. Census, and part is the movement of jobs, of employers, from the central cities.

And finally, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland in a 2015 study found that low-skilled and low-paying jobs are the hardest to get to. It also found that, “Millennials and baby boomers alike want more accessible communities, whether that means a workplace within reach of transit or downsizing from large suburban homes to areas where amenities important to them are just a walk away.”

I found it amazing that the Clevelanders spend more money on housing plus transportation than major cities like Boston or New York.  As long as Ohio can’t leverage the lower cost of living in the state as a true strategic advantage, Ohio will never be able to compete with major cities like Boston, New York or Chicago.

The images below have appeared before on this blog, but they dramatically show the issues with urban sprawl as well as jobs sprawl.  The graphic on the left is developed land in Cuyahoga County in 1948 and the graphic on the right is developed land in 2002.  As development spreads out, the ability of the urban population to access jobs becomes more difficult.

The link between avoiding job sprawl and brownfields is unmistakable.  The more we discourage redevelopment of our inner core cities, the more we push jobs out into greenfields which fosters jobs sprawl.  Also, without an growing population and affordable transportation to jobs, large employers face increased challenges finding qualified candidates to fill job vacancies.  If the problem persists, employers look to relocate where they can ensure vacancies will be filled.

While Ohio used to be a leader in promoting brownfield redevelopment, a combination of factors over the last several years has pushed us to the back of the pack, even when compared to neighboring states like Michigan.  The combination of factors, all which have been discussed on this blog, include:

  • Clean Ohio, a national model in brownfield redevelopment incentive programs, sunset approximately 5-6 years ago leaving behind no definitive brownfield redevelopment program.  Between 10-20 major brownfield redevelopment projects were occurring per year over the decade Clean Ohio was in place
  • A lack of tax policy that promotes brownfield redevelopment.  The most significant tax benefit, the VAP 10-year tax abatement, is too cumbersome and too limited in scope.
  • JobsOhio, while the program has some major advantages and is currently has the best incentives for brownfields, the JobsOhio Revitalization Program has steep eligibility requirements and does not focus on specifically targeting brownfields for redevelopment
  • Local brownfield programs have dwindled- For example, Cuyahoga County has basically done away with its brownfield program and forgivable loans, a key incentive to promote brownfield redevelopment
  • VAP- Controversy surrounds the VAP program and whether it still provides the legal liability protection envisioned when the program was launched more than two decades ago
  • Vapor Intrusion-  Greater federal and state scrutiny on vapor intrusion issues has increased liability concerns for property owners and redevelopers looking to reuse brownfields

As we head into an Gubernatorial election year, more voices need to be raised discussing issues like jobs sprawl, brownfields and how to get Ohio’s population growing again.  While tax policy, education and economic development are critical to Ohio’s future, making sure we are putting new jobs in locations that can easily be accessed needs to be a key strategy in Ohio.