2024 Community Research Year in Review

This is part two of the annual recap of community research released throughout the year, which The Columbus Foundation launched in 2023 as part of its Meeting the Moment series. The first part of the 2024 research recap highlighted The Columbus Foundation’s Benchmarking Central Ohio report, along with other research from the year that took a deeper dive into key themes from the benchmarking report. This piece revisits headline-worthy research from 2024, along with other reports you might have missed along the way.?

Relatively few research reports have a statistic or quote that goes viral, and those that do are often susceptible to being misquoted or embellished. For studies that are highlighted by journalists or on social media, the pace of the news cycle often limits our ability for new information to really sink in.??

The purpose of research should always be to equip government officials, community leaders, residents, and others to make informed decisions that lead to impactful actions. Research worth conducting should never live out its published life collecting dust on a shelf. By the same token, studies ought to serve as more than a footnote in the marketing materials for a predetermined plan of action. High-impact research is that which combines sound data and analysis with real input and perspective from the community to inform a serious plan of action with a realistic chance of being funded and implemented.?

“The region has a history of conducting extensive planning and research, but it has not always achieved the alignment required to follow through on needed efforts.”?

— Focus Strategies, Columbus and Franklin County Comprehensive Community Assessment?

This is why quotes like the one above, from a report released in September 2024, hit so hard for those seeking to create positive, well-informed change in the community. By it we’re reminded that even with all the detailed data and new artificial intelligence tools that now exist, the most difficult part of using research to improve society is cultivating the civic cooperation and collaboration it requires.?

Research That Made a Splash?

Although housing wasn’t featured as prominently in new research as in previous years, this well-researched subject instead saw a major step forward in implementation, demonstrating that the ultimate goal of research is to shape positive community change. The following research made headlines, got people talking about central Ohio’s strengths and weaknesses, and, in some cases, led to tremendous steps forward in the region’s growth and development in 2024.?

• ZoneIn Columbus (City of Columbus): The city’s first comprehensive zoning code update in 70 years was informed by a trove of data, mapping, community input, and even a public information gallery. With this action, the City has set an example for surrounding suburbs and counties to also play an informed role in the regional effort to curb rising housing costs.??

• LinkUS Community Action Plan: A collaborative initiative created by five partner agencies based on years of analysis and planning, which ultimately led to the passage of new sales tax revenue to support Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) service expansion and a bus rapid transit system, as well as new sidewalks and trails.?

• Metro Monitor 2024 (Brookings Institute): A national data dashboard that examines economic performance in growth, prosperity, overall inclusion, racial inclusion, and geographic inclusion at the metropolitan level. Columbus fell last in a cohort of 54 metros in the Racial Inclusion category.??

• Changing Opportunity: Sociological Mechanisms Underlying Growing Class Gaps and Shrinking Race Gaps in Economic Mobility (Opportunity Insights): Renowned economic inclusion scholar, Raj Chetty, PhD, visited The Columbus Foundation in September to share insights about his latest research on economic mobility and the geography of race and class.?

• Columbus and Franklin County Comprehensive Community Assessment (Focus Strategies): This report, commissioned by Community Shelter Board, calls for scaling up the local response to growth trends in homelessness.??

• The Best Cities for Commuters (Lyft): The company’s 2024 Commuting Report identified Columbus as having the quickest commute times, and the second cheapest commutes in the nation. Additionally, downtown Lyft usage now exceeds pre-pandemic levels, which likely points to the success of a partnership with COTA that launched in 2021.?

• On the Move: West Side Story (Bank of America Institute): This research brief, based on Bank of America internal data from the fourth quarter of 2023, highlighted population decline among West Coast cities, while cities in the South and Southwest continue to grow. The Columbus region was estimated to have had the highest growth rate during the quarter, though this may be more reflective of the bank’s growing market share in central Ohio.??

Both the Lyft and Bank of America reports demonstrate the pros and cons of proprietary market data, which can be more current and detailed than public datasets, but which may also reflect the priorities and biases of the commissioning company and its regional market presence.?

Research You Might Have Missed?

Not all new studies get the same attention as the examples above. However, this isn’t necessarily indicative of relevance or utility of insight. Some local research may seem more obscure than national level rankings, even though they contribute a deeper level of insight. With this in mind, here are some studies you may not have seen in headlines this year but are worth learning from, nonetheless.?

• Advancing Entrepreneurial Mobility in Central Ohio: An Economic Impact Analysis of Local Black-Owned Businesses (The Women’s Center for Economic Opportunity): This report points out that Black-owned businesses contribute over $2 billion to the Columbus metro’s economy but are mostly confined within Ohio’s low growth industries.???

• A History of the Impacts of Discriminatory Policies on Housing and Maternal and Infant Health in an Ohio Neighborhood (multiple authors from Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University): This in-depth analysis of past policies and present conditions illustrates how state and local policies affect infant and maternal health outcomes to this day in the Linden neighborhood of Columbus.?

• Racial Differences in Activity Space Exposures and Everyday Perceptions of Safety Among Urban Youth (Christopher R. Browning, PhD): unpacks differences in perceptions held by Black youth and White youth based on experiences of different environments.??

• Large-Scale Development Trends in Central Ohio and Their Environmental Implications (UNPREDICTABLEcity): Though Intel made national news this year for project delays and changes in leadership and corporate structure, local planning around the chip fab construction site continued. This particular report, released in December 2024 by the Ohio Environmental Council, provides a thorough analysis of the potential environmental impact that Intel and other major developments will have on the region’s natural resources.??

• Poverty & Economic Insecurity in Franklin County (Scioto Analysis): Co-authored with the RISE Together Innovation Institute, this report unpacks the causes and costs of persistent poverty. It also highlights the economic impact of the human services sector and concludes with a variety of ways to boost economic stability for residents.?

• Replacing Ohio’s Lead Lines: A Cost-Benefit Analysis (Scioto Analysis): Commissioned by the Ohio Environmental Council, this analysis demonstrates a $32 return on investment for every dollar spent on replacing lead-based water lines. Ohio represents 3.6 percent of the U.S. population but 8.1 percent of lead service lines in the country—meaning updating this infrastructure would dramatically improve public health in various ways and grow Ohio’s economy by between $145 and $185 million over the next 15 years.??

• The Estimated Economic Impact of an Eviction Right to Counsel in the City of Columbus and Franklin County (Stout): Commissioned by Columbus City Council, this analysis shows that every dollar spent on an eviction right to counsel yields $4 in economic benefits to the community.??

• Economic Impact Study of the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation): Commissioned by CMHA, this study found that from 2018-2022, the housing authority generated over $1.8 billion in earnings, while contributing $3.28 billion added value with a $1.77 return for every dollar spent in Franklin County, and $2.02 in the Columbus MSA, suggesting an even higher return on investment in suburban and rural parts of the region.?

• State of Public Art (Greater Columbus Arts Council): Conducted as a precursor to a forthcoming plan, this landscape assessment underscores the impact that percent-for-art ordinances have had in peer cities. Such an ordinance, which places a fee on large scale development projects to fund and install public art, does not currently exist in Columbus.?

• Columbus & Franklin County Tree Equity Score Analyzer (American Forests): This tool, developed in partnership with Green Columbus, provides neighborhood and property level data to inform canopy restoration strategy.??

• Annual Report on the Economic Impact of Historic Preservation Tax Credits (National Park Service): This analysis conducted by the Rutgers School of Planning and Public Policy highlighted the Understory redevelopment of the Columbus Open Air School as a case study in best practice use of historic tax credits.?

The best research helps us understand our community better by dispelling myths, uncovering recent trends, and pointing toward potential solutions that leverage our assets and honor the dignity of all residents. We should always be on the lookout for sensational headlines and exaggerated statements masquerading as ‘research.’ While national rankings lend categorical value, paying attention to trends and trajectory is at least as important as where Columbus falls on a commercial ranking. Lastly, research should always help us learn more about the nonprofits, public agencies, institutions, and corporations that influence different aspects of our communities to build a central Ohio that works for everyone.??

Next up: Part three takes a step back from these individual reports from 2024 to provide an assessment of what this most recent body of research might be conveying in the aggregate.?