Poverty, inequality, failing schools and segregation can all be tied to Greater Cincinnati's uncoordinated growth, according to a national planning expert.

        Cincinnati is “a classic example of a region growing against itself,” said Minnesota state Sen. Myron Orfield, who visited Cincinnati this week promoting his new book, American Metro Politics.

        Although Cincinnati garnered little more than a footnote in his recently-published book, Mr. Orfield said many problems he wrote about in other large U.S. cities also apply to Cincinnati.

        A key driver behind Cincinnati's sprawling growth is the region's fractionalized leadership. He said many smaller communities tend to look out only for themselves, ignoring the good of the region.

        That approach is inefficient and wasteful and harms nearly every community.

        Mr. Orfield's analysis classified four types of communities in Greater Cincinnati:

        • The city accounts for just 23 percent of the region's population and struggles to retain residents and jobs. Even though downtown has had more success retaining office jobs than many other cities, neighborhoods are saddled with concentrated poverty, racial segregation and poor schools.

        • One-third of the region's population live in at-risk communities such as Newport and Greendale that face the biggest struggle with growing social needs and little hope of improving tax revenues. The result: poor-performing schools and crumbling roads and sewers.

        • Booming bedroom communities such as Fairfield and Loveland often have trouble paying for growth. Families are attracted to these areas, creating crowded classrooms but few jobs to support the tax base.

        • A few communities such as Blue Ash and Sharonville benefit at the region's expense. These areas are rich in office jobs and have bulging tax coffers. The drawback for residents is congested roads and little open space.

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