This Sunday's Forum on great cities gauges Cincinnati development against the backdrop of our region's other major cities. Metro Cincinnati, like Indianapolis, Columbus, Louisville and Cleveland, can boast of enviable assets in the ratings game. Cincinnati: "Most Livable City." Cincinnati: "12th Best Metro for European Investment." Cincinnati: in the Top 10 "Cities that Rock." Cincinnati: "No. 5 U.S. arts destination." Newport on the Levee: "No. 1 family-friendly mall."

Q&A WITH THE MAYORS

• What separates good cities from great cities? Mayors of the region's major cities answer Enquirer questions on how to become "great" cities. • How have you defined success for your city? • What does it take to raise a good city into a great city? • Do you try to run your city as a business? What investments are needed in housing, commercial development, industrial development, technological development and tourism to make a great city? • What do you need from partners to make a great city? • How do you reduce city vs. suburban rivalries and build a more united metro area? • Who is your competition for development and tourism? Each other? Out-of-state cities? Who are your benchmarks? • Would additional mayoral powers help you make your city more successful, and if so, what powers? • What action do you need to take if city "product lines" (housing, etc.) don't meet their goals? • What's your impression of Cincinnati, and what advice would you give Cincinnati? • Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken • Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell • Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman • Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson • Louisville Mayor Jerry E. Abramson • Enquirer editorial: Great development strategies

But rankings and indicators take us only so far, and they pale when budgeteers tell us Cincinnati's earnings tax revenues are still slow-grow or no-grow, and deficits could balloon to $71 million by 2008. We can argue ourselves silly whether Cincinnati has a spending or a revenue problem, but if we aspire to be more than just an OK city or metro area, we need to grow the city tax base and metro market.

Do great cities encourage great development? It sure helps.

Cincinnati has begun to create more systems to develop more housing, retail, industry, high-tech enterprise and tourism. They generate the new money the city needs year after year. The Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC), the Convention Center expansion and City Hall's development strike force already are helping. Hamilton County needs a similar public-private partnership to do countywide development, and the commissioners are for it.

"The city's product lines are old and have to be rebuilt," says Cincinnati Business Committee's executive director Laura Long. She likens housing and other city revenue sources to manufactured products. They won't generate new city money unless city and corporate leaders create incentives to draw private capital. That's why 3CDC, CBC and Cincinnati USA Partnership are pushing to reinvent the Fountain Square retail district, the Washington Park area, the central riverfront and beyond.

Mayor Charlie Luken in this section remarks almost wistfully that in the 1980s Cincinnati didn't worry about regional competitors such as Louisville, and he says our challenge is to "get there" again. But it's a different era. Our "friendly" competition won't go away.

Neighboring metros aren't as complicated as Greater Cincinnati. Among other things, a river runs through us, and we straddle three states. For three of our big neighbors - Indianapolis, Columbus and Louisville - the city and county have essentially merged. That adds clout. Indianapolis even formed a nine-county pact not to steal one another's companies. It's a huge advantage over metros still squabbling among themselves or raiding each other for jobs.

Metro Cincinnati is growing, with booming counties south and north. The U.S. Census Bureau added Kentucky's Bracken County and Indiana's Franklin County to bring our metro total to 15 counties. By 2010 Cincinnati's Metropolitan Statistical Area is expected to include Dayton. City and metro leaders need to make every investment dollar count. Smart strategies will decide if the result is a "great city" or just sprawl.

First in a series

Look for more editorials on this issue later this week, as well as along with the next part of the "Great Cities" package on the Sept. 5 Forum cover.