CITIES V. SUBURBS

Areas within a Region 1.Older suburb (25% of the region’s pop.) 2.Low tax base suburb (10-15% of the pop.) 3.High tax base suburb (never more than 30%) % of a region’s population lives in central cities

Natural factors (Edward C. Banfield) If the people left in the cities aren’t doing well, is it the fault of the suburbs? Are suburbs simply the expression of individual preferences. Ross/Levine: Is it Race or Income that determines where people live?

Unnatural factors Mumford and Bickford – cities, their structures and makeup are not natural but rather a product of decisions made by government and economic elites. The importance of institutional, political and social contexts. Cars, air conditioning, cold war – national defense and highways, mortgage deductions, gentrification, etc.

Suburban Autonomy Metropolitan population = “Clusters of homogeneous” divisions which have achieved municipal status and erected social and political barriers against invasion

Main purpose of suburban governments Insulate residents from the complexity of life Control unwanted development “Keep undesirables out” – 75% most important issue

Benefits of Fragmentation Permits all citizens of the region to choose the jurisdiction that provides their preferred “mix” of services, amenities, and tax obligations.

Suburb => racial segregation => low aggregate civic capacity Suburb => smaller community => higher local capacity Suburb => economic homogeneity => less political involvement PROBLEMS WITH FRAGMENTATION

Uneven and inefficient development (no growth v. slow growth v. pro-growth) and investment (because of spillover effects) Wasteful sprawl Sharp disparities in tax bases among jurisdictions ( Disparity equals low growth Competition between businesses, good; competition between localities, bad. Why? Interdependence

Ross – HOA revisited again What town does he examine? Celebration, FL Who developed the rules of the “town”? Is this a problem? Or just a reflection of individual preferences? Private government vs. public government

The Regional Economic Commons What does this mean? Commons refers to a common property resource A depletable asset or quality that is accessible to everyone and owned by no one Example: Fish; CCSD

Solutions Regional government? (Minnesota?) Coordinated investment/development Upgrading the quality of regional workforce Enhancing economic development infrastructure A.K.A., human and physical capital investment