Introduction  |  Conclusion   |   Speakers  |   Sponsors

Little things matter. Broken or missing sidewalks, vandalized property, broken windows and litter create a negative image in the minds of residents and visitors to a city. Once formed, that image is almost impossible to change. Columbus must promote public and private efforts to address small issues in the downtown and city neighborhoods before they become problems that lead to disinvestment. Helping a community means getting people to feel they have a stake in it.

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"In economics it is the differentiated product that copmmands a monetary premium. If in the long run we want to attract investment to our cities we must differentiate them from anywhere else. It is our built environment that expresses, perhaps better than anything else, our diversity, our identity, our individuality or differentiation." - Donovan Rpykema

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George Kelling and Catherine Coles stated the case well: "Left unrepaired, little things like unkempt property, litter, graffiti and vandalism lead to deterioration of a community. Cooperative efforts of police officers and community residents can help improve communities and restore trust. Cities that have adopted the idea (fixing broken windows) have found it a successful tool for reducing crime and revitalizing neighborhoods."

Stanley Lowe cites an unfortunate and alarming statistic from Pittsburgh: If you are white and make $18,000 a year or less you have a 42 percent better chance of getting a home loan than if you are African American and make $30,000 a year or more. Lending bias is becoming recognized as a national problem. Its implications are clear: How can someone feel a stake in his community when he is denied the means to acquire that stake? The extent of this problem in Columbus must be evaluated and step taken to counteract it if we are to have any hope of keeping our neighborhoods stable.

For speaker John Bryant, efforts such as these are not just busywork, they are essential: "Surviving is simply not enough anymore. We must create a while new class of stakeholders and shareholders in the American dream. It involves development of responsible and committed stakeholders capable of crossing over and superseding the cultural, racial and social lines that separate us."

Next: Evaluate Private Investment Decisions