Cities Without Suburbs

By David Rusk

Outline

Methodology – determining elasticity (Jodie)

Consequences of elasticity or lack thereof (Robert)

Ways to achieve an elastic city (Ingrid) Conclusions and recommendations

(Daryan)

Outline

Methodology – determining elasticity Consequences of elasticity or lack

thereof Ways to achieve an elastic city Conclusions and recommendations

Selecting Metropolitan Areas To Study

Excludes areas with fewer than 200,000 residents

Excludes Mexican border towns Excludes declining mining regions Excludes white-only metro areas Excludes city-less metro areas

Process For Determining Elasticity

Density of cities in 1950 Amount of city expansion from 1950-

1990– Example of New York City, New York and

Anchorage, Alaska

Levels of Elasticity

Separated cities in selected metropolitan areas into five groups:– Zero elasticity– Low elasticity– Medium elasticity– High elasticity– Hyper elasticity

The Point of No Return

Major loss of population Disproportionate minority population Residents had average income levels

less than 70% of suburban income levels

Demonstrates the Fourth Law of Urban Dynamics

Cities Without Suburbs

Surprisingly most are located in more modest income metro areas

All of these cities dominate their areas These cities are making the most of the

areas’ available resources City must have 50% or more of the metro

population Average per capita income of city residents

must be 90% or more of suburban residents

Cities Without Suburbs

Cities Without Suburbs

The Key for Cities Without Suburbs

“…these twenty-three communities are becoming societies of greater social equity and economic mobility…have a lower level of racial segregation…have greater unity among their public institutions, their residents have better access to the entire region’s resources…” (82)

Outline

Methodology – determining elasticity Consequences of elasticity or lack

thereof Ways to achieve an elastic city Conclusions and recommendations

Laws of Urban Dynamicsaccording to David Rusk

1. Only elastic cities grow2. Fragmentation divides; Unification

unites3. Ties do bind4. Ghettos can only become bigger

ghettos

Cities without suburbs=elastic cities

The central city should be able to grow and expand

Cities without suburbs=elastic cities

Racial integration occurs

Cities without suburbs=elastic cities Income class integration occurs City incomes are equal to or higher than

suburban incomes

Cities without suburbs=elastic cities

Local public institutions are effective because they are unified

Outline

Methodology – determining elasticity Consequences of elasticity or lack

thereof Ways to achieve an elastic city Conclusions and recommendations

Achieving an Elastic City -Metro Government General purpose local government All powers of municipality under state law Exercise exclusive powers within its

jurisdiction Special purpose and general governments

may still exist, but key planning and zoning must be done by the metro government

It should contain 60% of the area’s population and the region’s central city

Types of Metropolitan Governments

Empowerment of urban counties Consolidation of cities and counties Combining counties into regional

governments

Strategies to Create Elasticity

1. Decrease revenue gaps

2. Decrease racial and economic segregation

1. Share revenue between rich and poor communities

2. Create affordable housing requirements and housing assistance programs

3. Promote economic development

4. Implement regional growth management policies

State Government Initiatives

Can create new local governments and merge old ones.

Governors and state legislatures act as metro-wide policymakers

Aid the local government and local school systems

Authorize Annexation

If a central city could annex, it could maintain unity of the local government.

Annexation will serve the larger public interest

Federal Government Initiatives

Provides incentives for metropolitan reorganization

Stops providing infrastructure grants in order to slow urban sprawl

Eliminate capital gains tax Ends the traditional federal public housing

program

Outline

Methodology – determining elasticity Consequences of elasticity or lack

thereof Ways to achieve an elastic city Conclusions and recommendations

Recommendations

Local State Federal

Recommendations for local Government “fair share” housing policies Fair employment and fair housing

policies Housing assistance policies Tax-sharing arrangements

Recommendations for state governments Improve annexation laws Enact laws to encourage city-county

consolidation Empower county governments to act as de

facto metro governments Require “fair share” metro housing laws Establish metrowide tax sharing

arrangements Enact laws to curb urban sprawl

Recommendations for Federal Government Focus federal research and evaluation on integration Utilization of the U.S. Advisory Commission on

Intergovernmental Relations Review of Federal Programs based to account for

segregation Initiate reforms of the federal public housing program Enforce federal laws more vigorously Determine whether economic segregation leads to

racial segregation, violation of law?

The Key for Cities Without Suburbs

“…these twenty-three communities are becoming societies of greater social equity and economic mobility…have a lower level of racial segregation…have greater unity among their public institutions, their residents have better access to the entire region’s resources…” (82)