Metropolitan government and metropolitan governance have been ongoing issues for more than sixty years in the United States. Based on an extensive survey and a review of existing literature, this book offers a comprehensive overview of these debates. It discusses how the centrifugal forces in local government, and in particular local government autonomy, have produced a highly fragmented governmental landscape throughout America. It argues that in order for 'governance' to occur in metropolitan areas (or anywhere else, for that matter), there has to be some form of an actual governmental institution that possesses the power and ability to compel compliance. Everything else is just some form of cooperation, and while cooperation is not trivial, it does not enable metropolitan areas to address the really tough and controversial issues that divide rather than unite governments in those areas. The book examines the principal factors that prevent the development of either metropolitan government or metropolitan governance in the USA. Norris looks at several examples where some form of metropolitan government or governance can be said to exist, from voluntary cooperation (the weakest) to government (the strongest). He also examines each type of arrangement for its ability to address metropolitan-wide problems and whether each type is or is not in use in the USA. In sum, the book uncovers the extent of metropolitan government and governance, the possibility for its existence, what attempts (if any) have been made in the past, and the problems and issues that have arisen due to the lack of adequate metropolitan governance.

This book represents a powerful analysis of the challenges of metropolitan governance in all its messiness and complexity. It examines Latin American metropolitan governance by focusing on the issue of public service provision and comparatively examining five of the largest and most complex urban agglomerations in the region: Buenos Aires, Bogota, Lima, Mexico City and Santiago. The volume identifies and discusses the most pressing challenges associated with metropolitan coordination and the coverage, quality and financial sustainability of service delivery. It also reveals a number of spatial inequalities associated with inadequate provision, which may perpetuate poverty and other inequalities. Metropolitan Governance in Latin America will be valuable reading for advanced students, researchers and policymakers tackling themes of urban planning, spatial inequality, public service provision and Latin American urban development.

America's cities have symbolized the nation's prosperity, dynamism, and innovation. Even with the trend toward suburbanization, many central cities attract substantial new investment and employment. Within this profile of health, however, many urban areas are beset by problems of economic disparity, physical deterioration, and social distress. This volume addresses the condition of the city from the perspective of the larger metropolitan region. It offers important, thought-provoking perspectives on the structure of metropolitan-level decisionmaking, the disadvantages faced by cities and city residents, and expanding economic opportunity to all residents in a metropolitan area. The book provides data, real-world examples, and analyses in key areas: Distribution of metropolitan populations and what this means for city dwellers, suburbanites, whites, and minorities. How quality of life depends on the spatial structure of a community and how problems are based on inequalities in spatial opportunityâ€"with a focus on the relationship between taxes and services. The role of the central city today, the rationale for revitalizing central cities, and city-suburban interdependence. The book includes papers that provide in-depth examinations of zoning policy in relation to patterns of suburban development; regionalism in transportation and air quality; the geography of economic and social opportunity; social stratification in metropolitan areas; and fiscal and service disparities within metropolitan areas.

This text is aimed at the basic local government management course (upper division or graduate) that addresses the structural, political and management issues associated with regional and metropolitan government. It also can complement more specialized courses such as urban planning, urban government, state and local politics, and intergovernmental relations.

Written by two prominent political scientists working in the field of local government theory and practice, Metropolitan Government and Governance offers a comprehensive understanding of the nature of local and metropolitan government and its relationship to the larger intergovernmentalsystem. It examines a wide range of common governmental practices and issues relating to local government in metropolitan areas as well as local government generally in the United States. Stephens and Wikstrom define and present several theoretical and applied perspectives including theconsolidationist one-government approach; federative efforts to create two-tier regional governments; the public choice approach which justifies the fragmented governmental structures that exist in most metropolitan areas; incremental change in relationships and roles; and regionalism which promotesregional political cultures. Each of these approaches is illustrated with concrete examples including seven case studies of major structural reforms that highlight strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to this issue. The book also analyzes citizen support and opposition to various typesof reform in both central cities and suburban areas. More generally, it discusses the range of options available to urban governments faced with growing problems of decreased federal funding and increasing demands regarding quality-of-life issues. Based on past findings and experience, Stephens andWikstrom propose a new model for the future governance of America's urban areas. They conclude with the argument that states must assume a more assertive role with regard to the structure of local governmental and service delivery in the nations 300 plus metropolitan regions. Metropolitan Governmentand Governance is a comprehensive analytical inquiry that is not only highly appropriate for students of political science and public administration, but will also be of value to scholars and policymakers as well.

Cities must meet the needs of thousands. This guide describes how federal and state law affects cities, and presents specific, practical actions to increase individual opportunity, while balancing the economy and environment. A must-read for any student of metropolitan America.

A distinctive feature of urbanization in the last 50 years is the expansion of urban populations and built development well beyond what was earlier conceived as the city limit, resulting in metropolitan areas. This is challenging the relevance of traditional municipal boundaries, and by extension, traditional governing structures and institutions. "Steering the Metropolis: Metropolitan Governance for Sustainable Urban Development,” encompasses the reflections of thought and practice leaders on the underlying premises for governing metropolitan space, sectoral adaptations of those premises, and dynamic applications in a wide variety of contexts. Those reflections are structured into three sections. Section 1 discusses the conceptual underpinnings of metropolitan governance, analyzing why political, technical, and administrative arrangements at this level of government are needed. Section 2 deepens the discussion by addressing specific sectoral themes of mobility, land use planning, environmental management, and economic production, as well as crosscutting topics of metropolitan governance finance, and monitoring and evaluation. Section 3 tests the concepts and their sectoral adaptations against the practice, with cases from Africa, America, Asia, and Europe.