Whether you choose to focus on the finding of three kidnapped women as a “miracle,” or as signs of a “systemic failure,” one thing’s for certain — things need to change ’round here. Richey Piiparinen, in his post The Miracle That Should Never Have Been, examines ways to help our struggling city so it better serves the needs of the people. This can’t be done simply through beautification projects; instead, he says:
What will work is a real reconstitution of Cleveland’s neighborhoods; that is, a reconstitution of people, and not simply of place. To that end, think of the city as a net. No amount of investment will stick until we re-thread our community fabric, which involves growing the people that comprise a community in the first place.
How does a city do this? Well, the first step is to not get too cute, and to do the obvious realities right. No amount of beautification projects will save a post-industrial city. A city needs to focus on the basics, as you develop a city like you grow a child. Here, the psychologist Albert Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can help.
Read the piece here.