It makes sense to use assets as starting points for regenerating a "legacy" city.

The work of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy is largely unfamiliar to me. It's a think tank, and publishes reports like this one. I'm struck by the "duh" simplicity of the abstract: Why would any plan for revitalization not include identifying and leveraging pre-existing assets?

This rumination struck a chord, and then I recalled Jeff writing  here a few years back about asset mapping in a neighborhood context.

Regenerating America’s Legacy Cities (Policy Focus Report)

Legacy cities have many assets that can be starting points for revitalization and change, including downtown employment bases, stable neighborhoods, multimodal transportation networks, colleges and universities, local businesses, historic buildings and areas, and arts, cultural, and entertainment facilities. A renewed competitive advantage, which will enable them to build new economic engines and draw new populations, is likely to come from leveraging the value of their assets.