Youngstown, Ohio has seen its fair share of hard times. With the departure of the steel industry, the city has struggled to find its footing and reinvigorate its economy. But the residents of this hard-working community are far from giving up hope. The Youngstown Vision 2010 plan is a blueprint for the city’s future that provides potential solutions and strategies for revitalizing Youngstown.
The Youngstown Vision 2010 plan was designed to address the industrial, environmental, housing and educational issues facing the city. It strives to build a comprehensive strategy that involves all stakeholders in the community, including government, business and citizens. Its goal is to create jobs and foster economic opportunity throughout Youngstown.
In terms of industrial growth, the plan stresses entrepreneurial spirit and seeks to attract young entrepreneurs who want to invest in Youngstown’s future. It is estimated that at least 10,000 new jobs could be created with the influx of investment capital expected from this initiative. In addition, the City hopes to lure new small businesses to the area with incentives such as access to affordable office space and loans given to young entrepreneurs looking to start or expand their business in the region. This is all part of an effort to create a positive environment for business growth and job creation within the city limits.
The environment is another key component of this plan. The improvement of existing parks, green spaces and ecological restoration projects are outlined as solutions for mitigating negative effects from urbanization and light pollution. These efforts together with an increase in bike paths and other areas designed for recreational activities will hopefully spur more citizens to take advantage of what Youngstown has to offer without relying on public transportation.
Housing is also focus subject under this plan as it seeks to provide better housing options in an effort to make living in Youngstown attractive for people of all incomes. An emphasis on historic preservation, adaptive reuse of buildings, modernized building safety codes are also part of this plan. All these strategies combined should prove effective in providing safe and quality housing in a cost effective manner.
The final area addressed in this plan pertains to education attainment. Strategies like school choice initiatives, afterschool programs designed to target low-income families and expansion of career-focused programs are all a way to give more students access to quality education opportunities while also increasing academic achievement throughout the city schools.
In conclusion, The Youngstown Vision: A Closer Look at the 2010 Plan is an ambitious endeavor but one that holds promise if all stakeholders involved can come together on how to implement these necessary changes. With luck, these proposed solutions may very well be instrumental in shaping a brighter future for this proud Ohio city.