Southern Indiana Business September-October 2020 | Page 50

The Last Word
The Ohio River Greenway,
a path to prosperity
by Josh Staten
For generations, New Albany and other communities
along the Ohio River were industrial
towns built upon the banks of the river
utilizing its waters for commerce and trade.
Through the years, technology and innovation
have changed how freight is transported to market
with railways, roads, and airlines competing with waterways.
The creation of industrial parks only further pushed
manufacturing firms away from the river. While pockets
of the region’s formal industrial riverfront remain, a group
of dedicated individuals from the public sector, private
sector, non-profits, volunteer groups, and foundations
have begun reimagining and redeveloping the Ohio River
shoreline into one of the focal points of the area’s renaissance.
From an economic development standpoint, many
factors make projects along the Ohio River Greenway vital
to New Albany’s success. In the past, the general rule of
thumb was that “people followed jobs”. If you bring in a
major company, workers would follow seeking employment.
Recent trends however have shown the opposite
among younger workers, many of whom would prefer to
choose where they would like to live and find employment
upon arrival. Millennials and younger generations
have begun to choose communities based upon more than
50 September / October 2020