"Urban Pioneering in the Hudson Valley," the latest report from Pattern for Progress charting massive changes in the region, looks at a national phenomenal that's had particularly strong impetus in the greater Hudson Valley, especially if one takes into account New York City's groundbreaking initiation of the wave. The idea being charted is simple: successful cities spawn out-of-control real estate markets that force those who are younger, or working in non-mainstream creative avenues, outside standard areas for living. So they gentrify decayed neighborhoods, and sometimes towns. Voila... they are pioneers and, in their swath, runs a current of gentrification and higher real estate markets.

"Is there life after urban blight? For some, the answer is, 'Yes,'" reads the opener for the Pattern report. "On the national level and to some degree in the Hudson Valley, walkable urban centers near employment, transportation, services, the arts, culture and entertainment are enjoying an upsurge in allure. This development is especially true for the Hispanic and aging populations as well as Millennials, aged 18 to 34."

To be more specific, think of the ways in which Brooklyn has changed over recent decades, or Queens and The Bronx, Jersey City and Hoboken. Pay attention to the ways in which European cities have buffed up and spread their allure into once downtrodden ring communities. Or all the news of urban agriculture and waves of young people headed now for Detroit.

On a more local basis, our big examples of urban pioneering can be seen in the resurgence of Beacon's long Main Street following the renovation of a riverside factory into a contemporary art museum there. Hudson, farther to the north, is attracting top shelf New York restaurateurs these days, and nearby Kingston's been pegged as a new cultural center for the nation.

Now eyes are turning to Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Middletown and even Ellenville as new pioneer-friendly urban frontiers. Because, as the new report points out, the key to urban renewal for decayed cities is not to tear down and start again, as occurred a half century ago to disastrous results, but bring new, younger life in to reoccupy what's been abandoned.

How to do that? The new report, and growing trend bolstering the urban pioneer phenomenon, calls for proactive planning that includes less stringent parking requirements for urban redevelopments, more public transportation and beautification projects, and even changing tax structures. A gradual shift to renting is oft-noted, along with increases to the number of affordable rentals available to not only those moving in to an area, but those already here. And one can't say enough about the general trend everyone's noting against suburban ideas, closed communities, and more car-dependent development.

Maybe for those retiring, or moving within an area, but not in light of any developmental influx to a community, they're all saying. The key is diversity in new housing, transportation, overall planning, and economic mixing within neighborhoods and even buildings.

How to do it in our area? It's what we've been looking at in a slew of recent stories, from reports on the changing character of Pine Bush to the reasons Canal Street is thriving and Center Street's been stalled in Ellenville. One needs Main Street to survive, it turns out. And to allow that, one needs to not only help those in one's community already, but learn to attract those who've been urban pioneers elsewhere, first as second homers and then investors tied into one's future.

Having trouble filling old industrial spaces, this line of thinking asks? Rethink them as residences or parks. Got applicants looking to build a new chain store? Direct them to reuse an existing structure. Tired of seeing For Sale signs on everything? Then invest the funds to advertise what one has elsewhere, even if only to those who moved to and changed the likes of Hudson, Beacon and Kingston and may be ready for something new to try their talents on.

In the final rounds, we're talking about something that's been tried for years in some of the more ancient parts of the world yet still feels intrinsically American in its emphasis on pioneering, on opening up new frontiers no matter what may have come before.

Which also means it includes elements of brutality. But also catharsis, if done with care and thoughtfulness.

Come hither, pioneers!