Columbus is a state capital and has a high level of public sector employment that provides a buffer in economic downturns. There does seem to be an element of luck in the story: Columbus was less dependent on manufacturing, and apparently de-industrialized earlier than other areas in Ohio and so went through restructuring and diversification early as well. It is also one of the cases in which municipal annexation and an effective Council of Governments has helped reduce regional fragmentation. Finally, we note that Columbus is reported to be a good place for members of the Black middle class; although it is by no means a nirvana for race relations, it lacks the profound history of racial segregation that characterizes, say, Cleveland and this may lead to more collaboration as well.
Thank you to everyone in Columbus who generously shared their time, ideas and insights with us:
Rev. John Aeschbury, Lead Organizer
B.R.E.A.D. Organization, Building Responsibility, Equality, and Dignity
Dave Alstadt, Senior Research Associate
Bobbie Garber, Executive Director
Community Research Partners
Lavea Brachman, Executive Director
Gene Krebs, Senior Director of Government Affairs and Policy
Greater Ohio Policy Center
Cheryl Hay, Administrator, Business and Industry
Dr. Michael Snider, Interim Provost
Columbus State Community College
Chester Jourdan, Jr., Executive Director
Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC)
Christy Rogers, Senior Researcher
The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, Ohio State University
Mike Wilkos, Senior Impact Director
Building Neighborhoods Initiative, United Way of Central Ohio
Just Growth 
Colombus obviously doing something right.
A piece of erudition unlike any other!