In light of the numbers and trends presented in foregoing section, Cleveland faces a number of challenges with respect to Population:

• Net Out-Migration of Residents: If population were solely determined by the ratio of births to deaths, Cleveland’s population would be increasing. Given the city’s relatively small senior population, as compared to its young person population, this same trend should continue into the future; but it is not expected to affect the bottom line. The city is losing population because more people are moving out than are moving in.
  
  
• Families and Married Couples Leaving the City: The city has, in particular, seen an exodus of married couples both with and without children. Improvement in the Cleveland Public Schools is clearly a critical factor for addressing this issue. The affordable housing offered by Cleveland, on the other hand, should be an asset for attracting this household type.
  
  
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  Cleveland has lagged behind other cities in attracting new immigrants. [ Goodrich-Kirtland Park neighborhood]
  Lack of New ImmigrantsMaking the City Their Home: Historically, Cleveland has been the gateway into the United States for many immigrants, though the rate declined sharply during the last half of the 20 th century. Other cities have seen a recent rise in immigrant populations, but Cleveland has lagged behind. The lack of new immigrants also has implications for the ethnic character and prosperity of the city.
  
  
• Segregated Racial Patterns: In some neighborhoods, integration has led to large shifts in racial composition. Such large shifts impact neighborhood stability.
  
  
• An Under-Educated Population: Compared to many other large cities, Cleveland comes up short both in working-age residents with an education and residents working on an education. More education usually translates into higher incomes, which in turn enables the City to provide an array of important services for all of its residents. Such Cleveland assets as the Cleveland Clinic, the institutions of University Circle and Cleveland State University could be better capitalized upon.
  
  
• Downtown’s Still Unrealized Potential: A residential population is key to a vibrant Downtown Cleveland, and a vibrant Downtown Cleveland would powerfully symbolize the vitality of the whole region. A residential base will also support accessory land uses such as retail that have tended in recent years to relocate away from the city center. Downtown Cleveland’s enormous potential is seen in the fact that it is one of the few areas in the city that has actually experienced population growth in the last decade. Entertainment venues such as Gateway and Playhouse Square, and natural features such as Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga Valley, constitute unique assets that can be built around.

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