The Thriving Non-Cities Of America

"As development builds outside cities, areas that have no legacy of municipal government are thriving without becoming cities. They have many qualities cities have: large populations, busy commercial centers, sprawling subdivisions. But they're not cities. There's no mayor. Residents can't fight city hall because there isn't one...These fast-growing unincorporated areas reflect a national shift toward turning some government functions over to private companies and away from multiple layers of government. For people in these areas, becoming a traditional city is unnecessary."