Strengthening the Middle: Challenges and Strategies for Rebuilding Middle Neighborhoods

In our February webinar, Alan Mallach introduced the subject of middle neighborhoods – the solid but unpretentious working- and middle-class neighborhoods of our cities and inner-ring suburbs–and the challenges they face. In this webinar, Mallach will zoom in on the particular forces that are threatening middle neighborhoods’ vitality today and describe some of the strategies that may help stabilize some and revive others. By looking at each neighborhood’s mix of challenges and assets, he will focus on the central challenge of rebuilding homebuyer demand, and why that goal is both so difficult and yet so important to the future of these neighborhoods. He will discuss the competitive dynamics of metro-wide housing demand, and why it is critical for neighborhoods to maximize the value of their assets. He will explore a variety of different strategies designed to strengthen demand such as neighborhood marketing, upgrading the housing stock and increasing credit access, as well as other strategies designed to build social capital and cohesion.

Presenters:

• Alan Mallach – Senior Fellow, Center for Community Progress