psage

I am conducting research (for a class) to explore what affect new housing in downtown central business districts has on existing urban neighborhoods adjacent to the CBD that are struggling to attract middle-class residents back to an urban lifestyle. In particular, I am interested in determining if, in cities like Dayton, Cincinnati and other midwestern cities, which continue to experience out migration from the urban core to outlying suburbs, new housing construction in areas that historically did not have residential land uses (like Dayton’s CDB) have a negative affect on these adjacent neighborhoods that are trying to revitalize. My working premise is that there are a limited number of people who are interested in urban living, particularly in the midwest, and that these new downtown housing initiatives draw residents and resources away from existing urban neighborhoods. So, I am posting this to ask your thoughts/opinions/experiences on this subject. Do you feel that the push to provide new housing downtown (through both new construction and building renovation) where no housing historically existed has had a negative affect on revitaizing adjacent neighborhoods, by leeching the limited resident and resources pool away from the traditional urban neighborhoods? Or, has the exposure to urban living that these high profile projects provide generated more interest in all kinds of downtown living, including in traditional urban neighborhoods? Or is there another angle to this issue that I am missing? I would appreciate any thoughts that you might have. Information can be either quantifiable or anecdotal. You can email me directly ([email protected]) or simply post to forum, which could lead to some interesting discussions. My thanks in advance for any assistance you can give. I am focusing on Dayton, Ohio but also looking at other midwestern cities.