Change city’s trajectory
Undeniable but also somehow unrecognizable, the Wichita depicted by economic and census numbers is a gloomy, unwelcoming place in serious decline. But the community must not look away in disbelief or apathy, or make excuses to justify inaction.
The dire portrayal offered last week as part of the Wichita Community Foundation’s Focus Forward project constitutes an opportunity. Responsible stewardship of our proud city demands coming together across political and ideological boundaries as a regional community committed to forging a strong future. If past strategies haven’t worked, passivity holds no promise now.
The research collected and analyzed by Reach Advisors, a nationally known firm founded by former Wichitan James Chung, shows the local economy is no longer rebounding from each downturn affecting aviation manufacturing, the city’s signature industry for nine decades.
Among the lowlights: Growth in household income, educational attainment and gross regional product are slower in Wichita, and more households are moving out than in. After the Great Recession, “10,000 people checked out of the workforce,” Chung said. The entrepreneurialism in Wichita’s DNA is dormant and venture capital negligible. Surveys even find Wichitans less warm and friendly than they used to be, especially toward young talent.
The first step in the foundation’s crucial project comes at a time of transition in area economic development efforts, disagreement among local government leaders and fiscal turmoil at the state level.
City Hall is still recovering from last year’s smackdown of its proposed 1-cent sales tax for a jobs fund and other priorities. Meanwhile, the Sedgwick County Commission majority won’t even commit to continue funding the marquee Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition and has cut other regional ties.
Still, there are some significant area assets already in place to take on what Chung characterizes as Wichita’s challenges related to business cycle, human capital, entrepreneurship and perception.
With enough support, Wichita State University’s innovation campus has the potential to seed not only new product lines and businesses but a new regional economy. The new Greater Wichita Partnership, led by Jeff Fluhr, is at the heart of a coordinated effort to facilitate growth regionally. The Blueprint for Regional Economic Growth is bringing together area leaders related advanced materials, advanced manufacturing, health care, information technology, oil and gas, and transportation and logistics to work on common challenges. The Wichita-South Central Kansas Regional Export Plan is being implemented by Kansas Global Trade Services, aiming to help diversify the economy and turn more local companies into exporters. The National Center for Aviation Training and WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research are key resources.
But more energy, ideas and visionary leadership are called for, especially from the young adults with the most to gain or lose as Wichita tries to change its trajectory. Regrets and recriminations must be set aside as the community replenishes its economic energy and rediscovers its swagger.
This is no time for “us versus them,” only “us.”
For the editorial board, Rhonda Holman
This story was originally published September 26, 2015 at 7:05 PM with the headline "Change city’s trajectory."