DAYTON, Ohio -- Community activists are holding a symposium in Dayton to fight the perception that many Ohio cities are on the decline.
Dayton resident Peter Benkendorf organized an event called the "Forbes 10 Fastest Dying Cities Symposium" Saturday and Sunday.
The event takes its name from an August 2008 Forbes magazine article that highlighted several cities and their economic troubles. Four Ohio cities made the top 10 list: Canton, Cleveland, Dayton and Youngstown.
"By our measure, they've struggled the worst of any areas in the nation in the 21st century," the magazine wrote. "And they face even bleaker futures."
Benkendorf, who moved to Dayton recently, says there's still plenty of life in the city he now calls home.
The article "struck a nerve in Dayton," Benkendorf said. "I didn't feel like the city was dying."
Youngstown community organizer Phil Kidd hopes to exchange ideas about affordable housing and economic development with officials from other Ohio cities.
Population decline means something different in Kidd's city. Instead of trying to stem the loss of residents, Youngstown has taken a different approach - accept being smaller.
Millions of tax dollars are being spent to demolish vacant houses and buildings and open up green space. The hope is that parks will grow, crime will drop and property values rise.
"Smart decline," the city dubbed it.
Youngstown estimates that it has lost more than 40,000 manufacturing jobs. The population is about 82,000, about half of what it was some 40 years ago.
The author of the Forbes article said it was meant to be an economic analysis and not insulting to the residents of the cities on the list.
"I'm from the Midwest," said Joshua Zumbrun. "I care about the Midwest. I want the country to get policies in place to help these cities."
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Ohio Cities Dubbed Dying Fight Image Of Decline
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NBC4i.com
Published: August 09, 2009
Published: August 09, 2009
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