Program Overview
The region’s legacy cities are at a crossroads: even as residents and leaders are beginning to capitalize on their cities’ many assets, they continue to face population decline, business relocations and closures, and other urban challenges such as brownfields, vacant properties, and aging infrastructure. Legacy cities are particularly susceptible to feedback loops wherein a loss of jobs and investment leads to population flight and a shrinking tax base, making it even harder to attract jobs and investment. NEMWI’s Revitalizing Older Cities Program is addressing these problems by conducting research and exploring innovative policy directions to address what is a distinct regional challenge. The Northeast-Midwest Institute researches federal economic and community development programs and opportunities as part of its mission to encourage economic vitality for the region and the nation. The Institute explores federal initiatives, analyzes legislation, laws and regulations, tracks trends, and distributes information to educate and inform Congressional staff, federal policy makers, and state officials.
Achievements and Impacts
NEMWI partners with other organizations to hold briefings on and off Capitol Hill on issues impacting legacy cities, especially federal infrastructure investment, and publishes research reports on strategies to address brownfields, local government capacity, and other challenges.
Briefings, Updates, and Webinars
- NEMWI Hosts Briefing on State Revolving Funds
- Fighting Blight in the Northeast-Midwest: A Capitol Hill Briefing on Vacant and Abandoned Property and the Federal Response
