In Praise of Cincinnati's Progressive Urbanism

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:

• A new mixed-use neighborhood in between the city's riverfront stadiums, along with a generous new waterfront park
• A coordinated redevelopment-including renovation and new construction-of a large piece of the Over the Rhine neighborhood
• A long-planned and hotly contested streetcar line connecting both areas with downtown in between

"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.'"