Brake credits Mayor Mark Mallory with "making the case for Cincinnati's urbanity, for its cityness, as a competitive advantage, something that many small and midsized cities have long scorned," and for placing these items at the center of his mayoral agenda. Three interconnected projects reflect this ethos:
"In a recent video for Smart Growth America, the mayor articulated his vision: 'We've got to be able to attract and retain young people, and we've got to be able to attract and maintain the companies that are going to create jobs. People are looking for public transportation when they are deciding which city they want to be in. They are looking for public infrastructure to be in place. All the elements you see in larger cities that are stable, that have growing populations, we are trying to incorporate into Cincinnati so we can level the playing field.'"
