Anecdotes about states usurping the power of cities to tax, spend, and regulate abound. But does the sum of these anecdotes add up to a systematic shift away from local governance? A new study attempts to answer this question, reports Eric Jaffe.
In a study to be published in an upcoming issue of Urban Affairs Review, government scholars Ann Bowman of Texas A&M and Richard Kearney of
North Carolina State report on the results of a study they conducted to explore this question with a number a local
and state authorities. According to Jaffe, "they report that cities indeed have experienced a general 'erosion of
authority at the hands of their state governments' over the past
decade, though only a modest one."
"In short, several local actors, particularly city managers, believe
local authorities have lost a modest share power in the past ten years,
and that state mandates have inhibited local policy efforts to some
degree. State legislators, meanwhile, tend to believe the power
distribution hasn't changed too much. Bowman wasn't too surprised at the
results - she'd found a similar trend in work published last year - and if anything she expected state and local positions to be more polarized."
FULL STORY: Are Cities Losing Power to States?
How Extreme Heat Drives Inter-Agency Collaboration
City officials tasked with addressing the impacts of extreme heat highlight the importance of aligning the efforts of multiple city departments.
2019 Certification for Cities Harnessing Data to Govern
The What Works Cities Certification recognizes cities across the country using data to inform local governance.
Mayor Wants to Create Atlanta's First-Ever Transportation Department
The proposal to create a new department in the city of Atlanta devoted to traffic and potholes came in the State of the City speech delivered this week by Mayor Keisha Bottoms.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
Mamdani overhauls NYC's Vision Zero plan with 100 new policy goals
The overhaul aims to reduce traffic deaths and make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers through lower speed limits, new safety infrastructure and more.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association