The report from the Brookings Institution surveyed 98 large metro areas.
Cleveland is NOT the worst in terms of job sprawl but it is in the top tier with 76 other cities doing a better job.
Only 16% of our region's jobs are within three miles of the Cleveland urban core - and more than 46% of metro area jobs are ten miles or further from downtown.
ELIZABETH KNEEBONE: "There really are a whole host of policy areas that are impacted by where jobs locate, in a region."
That's the study's author, Elizabeth Kneebone, a senior analyst with the Washington, DC think-tank. She says one of the main harms from job sprawl is that it separates many of the unemployed or under-employed from opportunities for basic jobs.
Those who live in the urban core often don't have cars and public transporation to the distant suburbs can mean multiple transfers and hours on the bus.
It's a complaint voiced at a recent local job fair by Tri-C student and job-seeker; William Miller.
WILLIAM MILLER: "Most of our jobs are, you know, in the suburbs... Streetsboro,' Macedonia. You know those are places that are hard to get to for me because I'm not driving."
Again, Brookings' Elizabeth Kneebone.
KNEEBONE: "If there's not affordable housing options near those jobs, or adequate tranportation options to connect workers to those jobs, then you can have a disconnect that can impact low-income workers who are trying to support themselves."
Kneebone says local and regional leaders have an opportunity to shape these trends through policy decisions, but that they must act swiftly.
Akron did much better in the study inthe small metro category - scoring 15th best.
Youngstown was second from worst.
