How Paul Stewart Inspired His Neighbors to Revitalize Their Declining Neighborhoods
Block-by-block revitalization doesn’t have to be—and really shouldn’t be—dependent on huge grants and massive development projects. We call this the “trickle or the fire hose” cycle: a neighborhood can have virtually no reinvestment and redevelopment...and then suddenly undergoes a transformation that leaves the place unrecognizable in just a few years.
So what’s a community to do? One approach is to follow the lead of Paul Stewart and the Oswego Renaissance Association (ORA) in Oswego, New York. The ORA provides small matching grants (up to $1,000 per home) and other resources to blocks of individuals who want to improve the look of their street.
Back in 2017, Strong Towns founder Chuck Marohn included the ORA as one of five low-cost initiatives every city across the country should prioritize, building wealth and stronger towns from the bottom up. As Chuck pointed out, this approach addresses the underlying problem—a shared lack of confidence in the neighborhood—and it is paying huge returns.
We’re distrustful of one-size-fits-all solutions here at Strong Towns. That said, Chuck Marohn has said that every community should tap into its own “sidelined wealth” by copying the ORA’s model.
Here are a few resources to get you started:
Podcast: Paul Stewart on Neighborhood Revitalization (September 2016) — In this episode of the Strong Towns podcast, Paul Stewart, executive director of the ORA, describes the effect decades of decline in Oswego had not just on its finances but in people’s confidence about their neighborhoods. He talks about his transition from being a citizen rehabbing his historic home—to an activist who started an organization to help revitalize Oswego neighborhoods and preserve homes all across the city. He discusses the ripple effects of these home improvements and his vision for his town.
Podcast: You Are the Help You’ve Been Waiting For (October 2019) — Paul returns to the Strong Towns podcast for another interview with Chuck Marohn. In this episode, Paul gives an update on the ORA’s work and the huge returns on investment they’re seeing. Paul and Chuck also discuss why the ORA remains an all-volunteer organization, the simple power of strengthening what’s working — rather than fixing what’s often dismissed as broken — and the role of local government.
“The Psychology of Decline,” by Rachel Quednau — In this article, Rachel Quednau describes the “deep-seated sense of defeat that pervades many American towns and cities — especially those post-industrial communities in the Rust Belt and the Midwest.” How does a city in the doldrums get back on track? Through bold ideas that reverse the bank run on confidence. She points to Oswego, New York as one city doing just that.
Additional Resources
Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity, by Chuck Marohn — Chuck features the Oswego Renaissance Association in his 2019 book
“What a Difference $1,000 Makes: Part Two,” by Jen Jones Donatelli — This article applies the lessons of Oswego, New York to Akron, Ohio.