With the aid of Mary Wisniewski GARY, Indiana (Reuters) – Struggling U.S. Rust Belt cities for years have tried to counter the lack of manufacturing jobs with large, pricey initiatives like casinos and stadiums. and Youngstown, Ohio, these tasks brought hope and headlines. Now, Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson and civic leaders of some other blighted cities are going small with strategic, narrowly focused ideas comparable to promoting vacant properties for $1, demolishing derelict structures and local smooth-up tasks that produce fast results. “Where cities are shifting to is a larger more strategic framework.” Gary, a struggling city 30 miles south of Chicago along the shores of Lake Michigan, is a main instance of the pattern.