Welcome to the UT Urban Affairs Center

Mr. Ken Dunn, who runs a recycling an urban gardening group in Chicago, believes that "Communities such as Toledo can build value through urban agriculture", according to the Toledo Blade in their April 26, 2012 article. Mr. Dunn spoke at an event co-sponsored by the UAC.  ◊

A recent online article in Green Profit magazine recounts the beginnings of the Maumee Valley Growers: read all about it here.  ◊

UAC regrets to announce that UT access to the ICPSR social science data repository at the University of Michigan has ceased due to budget restrictions. Those having questions or comments about this should contact Dr. Neil Reid, UAC Director, at 419.530.3593 or send email to neil.reid@utoledo.edu.  ◊

UAC's recent study on Funding and Service Disparities between Municipalities and Townships in Montgomery County, Ohio has garnered more press coverage, this time an online article in The Press asserting that "Township taxes could go up, if state acts on UT study".  ◊

Dr. Neil Reid (UAC Director) and Paula Ross (UAC Research Associate) have collaborated with Jay D. Gatrell of Indiana State University in the editing of a new book about local food systems: Local Food Systems in Old Industrial Regions. Published by Ashgate Publishing, this book explores the "explosion of interest in local food systems-among policy makers, planners, and public health professionals, as well as environmentalists, community developers, academics, farmers, and ordinary citizens. The book represents a first attempt to provide a systematic picture of the opportunities and challenges facing the development of local food systems in old industrial regions." Click the above link for more information.  ◊

UAC Research Associate Paula Ross is one of the organizers of Toledo SOUP, a community effort that aims to "activate local initiatives with microgrants," according to its website. As noted by the Toledo Free Press on February 14, 2012, "The local initiative is part of an international microfinancing movement that has been building for years and gaining momentum in recent months, said Paula Ross, one of Toledo SOUP's organizers. The idea behind the model is that public buy-ins as low as $5 can fund small projects that can have a large impact on the community." Read the full article here.  ◊

UAC has partnered with the Ohio Society of CPAs (who in turn partnered with the Michigan Association of CPAs, the Indiana CPA Society, and the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs) to conduct a regional survey of their members. According to Accounting Today, "CPAs are more optimistic about business growth predictions for 2012 in their respective states than the nation as a whole, according to a new survey of CPAs in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania."

The purpose of the survey was to demonstrate CPAs as business thought leaders and to measure their experiences and observations in the current economy. The survey addresses the issues that CPAs can comment on because of their direct experience as either a sole practitioner or partner in a public accounting firm offering business advisory services, or as CEO or CFO of a company.

UAC's Survey Research Services conducted the survey using questions supplied by the participating CPA organizations, analyzed the results, and wrote the executive summary. The survey results were noted in the following publications:

• Accounting Today | Jan. 17, 2012
• The Business Journal Daily (Youngstown) | Jan. 17, 2012
• Crain's Cleveland Business | Jan. 17, 2012
• Columbus Dispatch | Jan. 17, 2012
• Columbus Business First | Jan. 17, 2012

 ◊

“Funding and Service Disparities between Municipalities and Townships in Montgomery County, Ohio”

The Greater Dayton Mayors and Managers Association asked UAC to examine the issue of service and tax equity in Montgomery County. How is it that Montgomery County townships are able to provide services without taxing the incomes of their residents? The study considered the following questions:

• Are the County's incorporated areas (cities and villages) paying for the costs of County services delivered to the unincorporated areas (townships) and then paying again for the same services for their own residents?
• Are current policies and practices, as historically developed, serving as a vehicle for the reallocation of public resources, economic opportunity, wealth, and population from cities to unincorporated areas?
• Are there hidden subsidies for people and businesses locating in unincorporated areas?
• Is there a financial penalty for living in a City or Village?

This study was discussed on Saturday, December 10, 2011 by the Dayton Daily News.

»» Click here to read the entire study.

For comparison, UAC completed a similar analysis of the fiscal impact of public service delivery practices in Lucas County in 2002. UAC is currently updating this study with new data.  ◊

UAC Director Dr. Neil Reid has been appointed as the next Executive Director of the North American Regional Science Council (NARSC). NARSC is an interdisciplinary organization whose mission is focused on promoting the scholarly exchange of ideas and knowledge that applies to understanding the functioning of urban and regional economies in North America and across the globe. The Council organizes an annual international conference that provides a forum for interaction and discussion. Dr. Reid learned of his appointment at the annual NARSC meeting that was held in Miami, Florida last month. He will assume his responsibilities on January 1, 2013. During the upcoming twelve months he will shadow the outgoing Executive Director, Professor Jean-Claude Thill of the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.  ◊

UAC's work with Riehm Farms to continue a local fresh food club was highlighted by UT News in their October 28, 2011 issue. Accordng to UAC Research Associate Jeanette Eckert, UT and Riehm Farms hope the number of campus participants will double in the coming year and reach a goal of 250 overall in the northwest Ohio region. Read the complete article here.  ◊

UAC's 2011 event, Local Food: Strategies for Jobs and Health, is continuing on Facebook: click here to join the discussion.  ◊

For anyone who lives near UT, here's a way to get fresh, locally-grown, chemical-free produce for your family this summer, conveniently available for pick-up at the Clean & Alternative Energy Incubator (2600 Dorr Street, see map). Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is an alternative distribution system linking local farmers to families who purchase, in advance, a weekly share of the season's harvest. Riehm Farms, a family farm located near Tiffin, Ohio, uses organic growing practices. Their produce is available at the farm, at some area farmers markets and, through their CSA, at the University of Toledo.

Click here for more information about the Riehm Farms CSA.  ◊

UAC Research Associate Jeanette Eckert is the local coordinator for Food Day in Toledo on October 24, 2011. She was quoted in the Toledo Blade in the October 23, 2011 Food section:

Locally, the day is being celebrated with a food drive at the University of Toledo to support the Feed Your Neighbor program. In addition, pamphlets and other material will be available at the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library's Main Library (325 Michigan St.) and Sanger Branch (3030 West Central Ave.). According to local coordinator Jeanette Eckert, "what we're fighting for is sustainable, humane, healthy, accessible, and safe food." She added that the organizers are hoping to make Food Day an annual event.  ◊

Click here to review the highlights of a data compilation of the local farm and food economy of Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan, compiled by Ken Meter.  ◊

UAC commissioned a study of Ohio's food system by Ken Meter of Crossroads Resource Center, a non-profit organization that works with communities and their allies to foster democracy and local self-determination. From the study's Options for Action:

This study has found that the prevailing food system in Ohio has failed to build health, wealth, connection and capacity in Ohio communities to the extent that Ohioans deserve. Indeed, the food system often frustrates these purposes.

In response, residents are actively building community-based networks that include clusters of food businesses, with supportive social connections, popular organizations, and policy inititives, that strive toward a better future for Ohio.

» Click here to read the study's full report «
» Click here to read the study's Executive Summary «

This study was funded by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.  ◊

The 2010 US Census has released more data. Use the links below.

• http://2010.census.gov/2010census/: Census 2010 Home Page
• http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/: Census 2010 main data page
• http://2010.census.gov/2010census/popmap/: 2010 Census Interactive Population Map, a fantastic demographic visualization tool
• http://www.census.gov/geo/www/maps/2010_census_profile_maps/census_profile_2010_main.html:
  2010 Census US Profile Maps (click here for the Ohio profile)
• http://factfinder2.census.gov/main.html: American Factfinder 2, the new Census 2010 resource

The above links are also on UAC's online data sources page; check there for regular updates.  ◊

UAC is pleased to offer a web site dedicated to providing information about Northwest Ohio local food vendors: maumeevalleyfood.org. This information is compiled by the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio, Inc., the local administrators of the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). Local farm stands and farm markets are listed, along with addresses, operating hours, phone numbers, and links to location maps. There is also a version for mobile devices.  ◊

The UAC is proud to host the website for the International Geographical Union's Commission on "The Dynamic of Economic Spaces". This commission is dedicated to advancing international research and scholarship in economic geography.

Dr. Neil Reid, UAC Director, is currently the Chair of this Commission, and among his duties recently hosted a conference in Toledo that focused on Local Food Systems in Old Industrial Regions.  ◊