Urban analyst Aaron M. Renn is a consultant, speaker, writer and blogger on a mission to "help America's cities thrive and find sustainable success in the 21st century." His popular blog, The Urbanophile, examines different cities and explores a variety of urban planning topics, including innovative strategies for urban success.

Aaron recently posted a lovely long song to our fine city saying we have "the greatest collection of assets of any city [our] size in America," even going so far as to say that the Queen City has an "embarrassment of riches."

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Cincinnati’s long-discussed streetcar system is a bit closer to reality today after City Council approved spending $2.58 million on the project.

The money will be used for planning and design work for the system. Its first phase would be a loop through downtown and Over-the-Rhine, with a later segment built to the uptown area near the University of Cincinnati and local hospitals.

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A new group in Cincinnati’s Westwood neighborhood that seeks to be less political and more positive than its counterparts has achieved one of its initial goals.

The group, Westwood Works, formed late last winter to help revitalize and publicize the neighborhood. Its creation, in part, was due to discussions about how another organization — the Westwood Civic Association — decided not to muster support for an ArtWorks mural in the neighborhood, despite the interest of some residents.

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has informed attorneys that it’s rejected a fair housing complaint involving downtown’s Metropole Apartments.

Kelly Leon, a spokeswoman for the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC), said its attorney informed the organization today that a complaint filed by Metropole tenants had been turned down.

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A long-simmering dispute about how much oversight should be imposed on a contractor that doles out city money for neighborhood projects is heating up again.

Just when it looked like Cincinnati officials were about to restore a contract to Invest In Neighborhoods Inc. (IIN) to manage the city’s Neighborhood Support Program (NSP), a stumbling block has occurred.

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State environmental regulators will hold a hearing to gather public input on a proposed cleanup plan of a contaminated industrial site in Pleasant Ridge on Thursday evening.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold the session at the Pleasant Ridge Community Center, 5915 Ridge Ave., beginning at 6 p.m. The neighborhood council will hold a community gathering first, at 5 p.m., at the center.

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Santa Maria Community Services recently opened an International Welcome Center in Price Hill to assist international residents with various needs and help them acclimate to Cincinnati.

The center, located within the Roberts Academy in the 1700 block of Grand Avenue, can link families with local service agencies and provides space for programs including English language courses, financial education and social activities.

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The Southwest Ohio Green Party announced today that it supports the passage of Issue 9 in the November election. Its position is based, in part, over concerns the party has about whether Cincinnati’s proposed $102 million streetcar system is an effective economic development tool.

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This month’s Price Hill Civic Club meeting, slated for Tuesday night, will feature a debate on Issue 9, the ballot item that would impose restrictions on rail-related funding by the city of Cincinnati.

The neighborhood group has scheduled speakers to discuss the other issues on the Nov. 3 ballot. After their presentations, the debate will be held. Arguing in support of Issue 9 will be Mark Miller of the Coalition Opposed to Spending and Taxes (COAST) and former Congressman Tom Luken; opposed will be Don Mooney of Cincinnatians for Progress.

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“Being a Westsider and a progressive is not an oxymoron. We are thousands.”

That’s the motto of an event being held Saturday by Nicholas Hollan, a Democrat running for Cincinnati City Council. Hollan is organizing the “Potluck for Progressives” picnic, which will be held from 4-7 p.m. at Rapid Run Park's shelter house.

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