John Hennessy III,
P.E.
How do cities grow? On the surface, this question has a pretty simple answer. Cities grow out. They start out small, and as more people move in, they get bigger. Sure, cities grow up, too, but here in the United States cities really grow out. But there’s more to it than that. Cities grow out faster now than they did 150 years ago. And they don’t always grow evenly out from the center. Why?
View this complete post...“Innovation” could be municipal government’s middle name. When it comes to creativity and resourcefulness – city leaders take a backseat to no one. Local public officials don’t have the luxury of living on the periphery of problems. Instead, they live in the middle of every issue on a daily basis. They, unlike state and federal officials, are easily accessible. Perhaps that’s what has caused them to be innovative and creative in finding remedies and solutions. Or, perhaps these traits are a result of dealing with the largest problem of all – inadequate funding. Whatever the reason, municipal leaders have become known for out-of-the box thinking, innovative problem solving and visionary collaboration.
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While many cities feel the immediate positive outcomes from wealth flooding into metropolitan regions, they also feel the negative impact on community members of varying income levels – particularly, those at the bottom that face increased housing prices, greater need for social services and growing concern for community safety. The income inequality and wealth gaps are at outsized levels, with the richest 0.1 percent holding the same amount of wealth as the bottom 90 percent. And when examined through a racial equity lens, the disparities become even starker; on average, white families have six times the wealth of African American and Hispanic families. This is where we are now. Unfortunately, the current policy environment at the national level isn’t focused on alleviating these inequities—cities are.
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Keeping the wheel steady on America’s roads and highways has become increasingly challenging as drivers encounter potholes and pavement deterioration. Nearly one-third of the nation’s major urban roadways – highways and major streets that are the main routes for commuters and commerce – are in poor condition. These critical links in the nation’s transportation system carry 70 percent of the approximately 3.1 trillion miles driven annually in America.
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THE PEW CHARITABLE TRUSTS
Cities in the United States play a substantial role in funding critical infrastructure with investments in capital projects such as roads, bridges, schools, and libraries. For example, all local governments accounted for 35 percent of total highway and transit spending from 2008 through 2012. To pay for these projects, cities often sell bonds on the municipal market.
When a friend has a pattern of behavior that brings harm to other people, what do you do? Intervene…American society is quick to talk about treatment for self-destructive behaviors that lead to dangerous situations for others. But what about transportation professionals?
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NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES
Mayors are the leaders who shoulder many of our nation’s most critical problems and from whom solutions can arise. NLC stands ready to support city leaders in their efforts to help mend the nation, and through this annual analysis of mayoral priorities, spotlight challenges, opportunities, and progress in our cities. Whether through their roles in economic development, public safety or education, this year’s report highlights ways local governments are providing the leadership needed to create more equitable communities.
All across America people are falling in love with cities. People are craving interaction with their fellow humans. They don’t want to commute long distances to work. They want to be able to safely walk around their neighborhoods and support the vitality of public spaces and the transformation of city streets.
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Aaron M. Renn is The Urbanophile, an opinion-leading urban affairs analyst, entrepreneur, speaker, and writer on a mission to help America’s cities thrive in the 21st century.
“Fundamentally, we have to take a hard look in the mirror and realize that, to some extent, the systems that we have in place in America are a reflection of the values of the people who live here…The public needs to take a look in the mirror and say this is what we’ve chosen as a society.”
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SMART GROWTH AMERICA
Cities are growing faster than their suburbs for the first time in recent history, and this new trend applies to some of the country’s smallest metro areas as well as the biggest.
Earlier this year, the Brookings Institution released new research which revealed cities in the country’s 51 largest metropolitan areas were, on average, growing faster than their suburbs for the first time in decades.
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