Economic development within Northeast Ohio suffers because of the lack of a regional framework for guiding development and infrastructure investment. Design, adoption and operation of the framework require cooperative and coordinated intergovernmental decision making. Currently, the region is characterized by fragmented planning and unconstructive competition among jurisdictions for investment and development projects.

Thus the objective of the RPI is to establish an overarching framework for future land use across the region, a framework that local officials would consider sensible and in their interests, and thus would be willing to follow.

Current research has also shown that a lack of coordinated planning is expensive. Between 1992 and 2002, per capita local government spending increased 68 percent compared to just a 29 percent increase in inflation. One cause for this explosion in government costs is the geographic expansion of government-supported infrastructure (roads, sewers, water and related government services), while our region’s population has been relatively stable.

Growth in Urban Land and Population for Northeast Ohio: 1970-2000

The region’s urbanized land expanded by 60 percent between 1970 and 2000 while the population rose just six percent. Neither the rising cost of local government nor the continued expansion of urbanized land is sustainable and both exacerbate the economic and social challenges facing our region’s core and older cities.

To financially donate to our initiative, please make checks payable to:

Team NEO 

Attn: Laura Koballa Hudak

737 Bolivar, Suite 2000

Cleveland, OH  44115

* Please write "Regional Prosperity Initiative" on the memo line. Click here to see sample