CUOMO RELEASES STUDY OF SUCCESSFUL CITIES

WASHINGTON - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo addressed the winter gathering of the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) this morning for one final time as Housing Secretary.

In his remarks, Cuomo thanked the mayors for helping to partner with the Clinton Administration to bring back urban areas across the country and unveiled a new report by HUD entitled Strategies for Success: Reinventing Cities for the 21st Century. The report highlights the strategies of cities that have done a great job of using their assets to thrive in the new economy.

"This is a pivotal time for cities," said Cuomo, "For the past 4 years, in the President's State of the Cities report, we have documented the economic and fiscal recovery of many of our cities as a result of a strong national economy, innovative local leadership and a renewed federal commitment. But not all cities are sharing in this success."

Cuomo cited the explosion in technology and the switch from manufacturing and industrial production to high-tech, knowledge-based industries, as well as the emergence of a global economy as factors that have completely changed the environment in which cities must learn to succeed.

"Cities on the whole, are doing great," said Cuomo, "Unemployment is down, crime is down, wages are up and homeownership is at an all-time high, but there are some cities that have not fared so well, or that have pockets of poverty within booming downtowns."

Strategies for Success is a blueprint for cities making the transition from the old to the new economy. Patterned after the success of the HUD "Best Practices", the report can help communities learn from the successful experiences of others.

The report highlights case studies from ten cities that are examples of urban areas around the country that were able to adjust to the rapidly changing times and excel. Each story provides tangible examples of creative economic development initiatives that cities are implementing throughout the nation.

The cities profiled in the report are: Akron, Ohio; Boise, Idaho; Denver, Colorado; Fargo, North Dakota; Louisville, Kentucky; Newark, New Jersey; Oakland, California; Omaha, Nebraska; Providence, Rhode Island; and Wilmington, Delaware.

The report looks at the keys to success that were demonstrated in the stories of these ten cities, and presents eight strategies for economic revitalization that stand out as particularly promising for helping cities meet the challenges of the new economy:

• Downtown redevelopment - 24 hour downtowns
  
• Housing and neighborhood revitalization
  
• Creating destinations - tourism and related industries
  
• Upgrading old economy enterprises
  
• Capitalizing on clusters and collaborations
  
• Workforce development
  
• Attracting high-tech investment
  
• Creating new economy spin-offs

The full report is available from HUD at www.huduser.org/publications/polleg/success.html