Stopping Subsidized Sprawl

Posted by Shayna Pollock on July 08, 2011

"Paid to Sprawl: Subsidized Job Flight from Cleveland and Cincinnati," a recently released study by Good Jobs and funded by the Ford Foundation, revealed some unsettling truths about the implications of business relocation subsidies in Ohio. The study shows that property tax breaks given to companies to relocate within Cleveland and Cincinnati are encouraging suburban sprawl. By dispersing jobs away from the urban core, the subsidies are, in effect, worsening wealth inequalities and decreasing employment opportunities. The study suggests that a combination of cooperation between local officials, anti-poaching policies, and regional transparency should be used to combat subsidized sprawl and to encourage economic development within the urban core.

Read the article in Crain's Cleveland here for more information.