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(DRAFT) 2024 Kenton County Comprehensive Plan > ELEMENTS > Regional Element

Regional Element

Kenton County is one piece of a larger 8-county, 3-state, Greater Cincinnati area and plays an important role in the overall region's success.  The Cincinnati metro region is competing for jobs and talent with 11 peer regions around the country.  Read on to learn more about how the region affects the county's future and vice versa.

The Kenton County Comprehensive plan is comprised of nine elements. Recommendations and associated tasks for implementation have been developed for each element to implement the Goals and Objectives that serve as the foundation for the plan. The recommendations were derived after extensive public discussions, discourse and dialogue and are based on research which includes local data as well as national trends. They explore different facets of the county’s physical development as well as its economic and social well-being and provide a roadmap for implementation. Kenton County is a single part of the Greater Cincinnati Metropolitan Region. The Kenton County Comprehensive plan examines the role of Kenton County in the overall region. The Regional element identifies policies that recognize that decisions made locally have an impact on the overall metropolitan region.

Kenton County is linked in a regional context to three states, 16 counties, and over 200 municipalities. Each one of these geopolitical jurisdictions has different goals and aspirations. While these ambitions may suit residents and cities  on a micro level, the economic health of the entire region is dependent on each of the jurisdictions considering their role in a broader context. Kenton County is located in a particularly important part of this metro area, being geographically in the center and containing a part of the urban economic and employment core of the region. While the elements of this plan are mostly focused on Kenton County, it is important to realize that the health of Kenton County is intimately linked to the health of the entire region. Click on the main headings below to learn more about the recommendations for regional planning as it pertains to Kenton County.     

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1. Recommendation: Establish policies for housing, mobility, and employment which help maintain the low cost of living that makes the Greater Cincinnati Metro area a desirable place to live.

Associated Goals & Objectives:

Goal 1
Goal 2

Tasks:

  1. 1)  Collaborate with the development community and community leaders to encourage policies that establish a variety of housing options and prices that support low cost of living.
  2. 2)  Reduce the combined housing and transportation costs by accommodating different types of housing within environments close to employment centers that are well connected with multiple modes of transportation.

Basis:

The Northern Kentucky Area Development District (NKADD) Housing Data Analysis (2023) found that affordability for households that are not middle to upper-middle professional income households is currently lacking. The region is in need of additional housing units to keep up with need and demand, with a five-year housing production need of 6,650 units, or 1,300 units per year. This housing production is needed in order to maintain and regain the lower cost of living that the region historically enjoys.

2. Recommendation: Collaborate with other counties in the region to ensure goals and action steps align with regional efforts to remain economically competitive with peer regions.

Associated Goals & Objectives:

Goal 9

Tasks:

  1. 1)  Participate in regional efforts that aim to address factors in which this region needs improvement such as increasing the size of the labor pool, net migration, transportation investment, source of employment, and educational attainment.
  2. 2)  Seek collaborative approaches to major infrastructure projects that cross county boundaries and significantly impact the region.
  3. 3)  Integrate with regional planning efforts such as OKI’s Strategic Regional Policy Plan into local planning initiatives.
  4. 4)  Coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions through efforts like Tri-State Trails to promote regional bicycle and pedestrian facility continuity. Strive for continuous connections to neighboring counties whenever feasible.

Basis:

The Cincinnati Metro area is made up of 16 counties in three different states. There are several regional agencies that pursue regional planning processes that enable increased opportunities for collaboration between counties in the region. This includes the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, which pursues regional land use and transportation planning, and BE NKY, REDI Cincinnati, and other organizations which works on broader community goals of jobs, education and economic growth. In addition, each of the three NKY Counties has their own comprehensive planning processes. It is important to be engaged in these processes and coordinate regional and county-wide goals.

3. Recommendation: Consider the regional context when exploring locations for major employment centers, large retail nodes and amenities.

Associated Goals & Objectives:

Goal 3 – Objective D

Tasks:

Retail Center in Crescent Springs, KY

  1. 1)  The economic impact of large facilities on those located in adjoining counties and within the region should be considered.
  2. 2)  Promote a regional approach to job creation and attraction.
  3. 3)  Assess the impact of these facilities on regional infrastructure systems such as interstates and highways.
  4. 4)  Participate in regional initiatives such as the Licking River Greenway and Ohio Riverfront Commons project.

Basis:

The region has been experiencing an increase in total employment over the past several decades. Approximately eight percent of the entire region’s total employment is from Kenton County. The region continues to struggle with the level of land consumption compared to population increase, which increases the need for improved infrastructure and better transit options. 

4. Recommendation: Recognize the role of four distinct sub areas within Kenton County and the contribution of each to the regional economy.

Associated Goals & Objectives:

AreaMapGoal 2 – Objective A
Goal 4

Tasks:

  1. 1)  Establish planning boundaries for each of the four areas – urban, first ring, suburban and rural.
  2. 2)  Assess the unique strengths and weaknesses of each area.
  3. 3)  Undertake a sub area planning process to determine community needs.
  4. 4) Assist municipalities within each of the sub areas to coordinate (across jurisdictional boundaries) planning efforts, recognizing shared opportunities and challenges.

Basis:

The public engagement process for Direction 2030 has included public meetings and small group discussions with residents that live in each of the four distinct areas of the county. The range of planning issues discussed in the urban areas of Covington, Ludlow and Bromley are generally different from those discussed with residents in rural southern Kenton County. Recognizing these distinct needs and re-aligning planning processes to address these will strengthen the community fabric.