How can Cleveland repopulate? Generally, there are two theories of thought: by focusing on regional economic development, so that people follow jobs; and by focusing on local economic development, particularly in housing and quality of place. Here, jobs follow people.

While the oft-heard question in city building is whether people follow jobs or jobs follow people, recent research suggest it is likely both. Cleveland needs both a jobs strategy and a housing strategy to incur repopulation. This report brief sketches out the framework of a housing strategy, while an upcoming report by The Center for Population Dynamics called “The Healing Economy: An Economic Redevelopment Framework for Cleveland” details a jobs strategy.