Northeast Ohio was once home to some of the most vibrant city centers in the United States, with the downtowns of Cleveland, Akron and Canton all attracting large numbers of businesses and people at all times of the year. These city centers helped to make Northeast Ohio one of the most attractive and dynamic regions in the country. As we know, each of these urban cores decayed for decades, beginning in the second half of the 20th century. Since then, there have been sporadic revivals of these city centers, but so far these have failed to recapture the former glory of the heart of these cities. This is concerning, as vibrant city centers can play a key role in the revival of Northeast Ohio. Therefore, much must be done to improve our city centers and once again make them attractive to people and businesses.