EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - The state of American cities

The state of American cities – DCLG report

Introduction

The report “The state of American cities” explores the current trends and drivers of change in US cities. It tells the story of the “rebirth” of American cities over the last decade. The report draws valuable for lessons for cities outside of the US based upon the American experiences. The report argues that whilst the US and England are marked by significant cultural and political differences in their views on cities, the two nations are undergoing similar economic and demographic transitions that pave the way for a useful comparative policy dialogue on urban areas. It is part of the UK Department for Communities and Local Government’s (DCLG) “State of the English Cities” research series.

Description

The report addresses four major questions that are explored in further detail in the topic report:

What are the current trends and drivers of change in US cities?
What factors measure and explain city success in the US?
What policies have promoted the success of US cities?
What can English cities learn from this?

The report is divided in five parts:

Part 1 highlights the major demographic and market trends shaping US population and employment in recent decades. Forces such as population aging, immigration and global trade have altered the nation’s trajectory in general, but have affected some regions and workers more than others.
Part 2 focuses on how these macro-trends affected urban areas in the US. They have helped to blur traditional distinctions between cities and suburbs, and have produced a widening gap that separates ‘high-flying’ places from the rest of the pack. Still, nearly all US metropolitan areas exhibit continued decentralisation of population and jobs away from cities and toward far-flung suburbs.
Part 3 examines the economic and policy factors driving the recovery of many US cities, and the lagging performance of others. Improving perceptions of cities, and renewed economic demand for denser living and working environments have helped many cities gain a foothold in the new economy. Other cities, however, still suffer the legacies of concentrated poverty, fragmented and inefficient government, and a failure to make collective investments that could lead to new urban growth.
Part 4 explores how competitive US cities are responding to the challenges they still face by transforming themselves physically, economically and socially. To do so, they are focusing their energies on improving basic public services; building on their physical and economic assets; creating neighbourhoods of regional choice; strengthening investments in their lower-income families; and collaborating to promote balanced regional growth.
Part 5 reflects on the implications of contemporary trends in urban America for the future of England’s cities.

Background information

This is one of a series of six thematic reports associated with the State of the English Cities report. These reports together provide the detailed evidence on which the main findings presented in the State of the English Cities report are based.

The six thematic reports are:

The changing urban scene: demographics and the big picture
social cohesion
The commpetitive economic performance of english cities
The state of american cities
Liveability in english cities
A comparison of public attitudes in urban and non-urban areas across different regions

Methodology

The research draws largely from analyses conducted for and by the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, especially its Living Cities Census Series, which examined results from US Census 2000 for the nation’s largest cities and metropolitan areas.

Conclusions

American cities do not occupy the same place in the national agenda and consciousness as their English counterparts. However, there are signs that the US are entering a new ‘urban age’. Beneath the dominant story of sprawl and metropolitan decentralisation lies an emerging narrative about the power and potential of cities and urban places.

The researchers see five areas in which English cities could particularly benefit from the experiences of their American counterparts:

The direct election of mayors in England could help realise and leverage the potential of cities and city-regions. Strong city leadership could help urban places adapt to and position themselves in the changing economy. England could actually go one step farther and smarter than the US by considering the direct election of mayors for larger conurbations, given the universally metropolitan nature of economies today.
Local government reform, especially with respect to the fiscal powers awarded to cities, would provide the needed foundation for responsive city leadership. In the US, cities reap the benefits of smart investments through increased tax revenues, which they are able to reinvest in other priorities. In England, cities must remit the bulk of their fiscal dividends to central government, creating little incentive to innovate. England could award additional fiscal and economic development powers to cities and city-regions while still guarding against the emergence of the sort of significant inter-city disparities that are evident in the US.
English cities should also seek to engage non-governmental leaders in the private and not-for-profit sectors, who form such a critical component of the civic leadership class in the US. Nurturing the growth of these institutions and encouraging them to play an active role in agenda setting and policy design and implementation is crucial. Elected city mayors who serve as a sort of ‘CEO’ for local governments can find helpful partners in the leaders of these other large organisations.
US cities have succeeded in part by embracing economic and demographic diversity. Many local officials in the US have taken the lead in promoting the geographic and cultural integration of immigrant populations, recognising their importance to the long-term economic health of cities. The broader embrace of racial and ethnic diversity, particularly concerning immigrants, is not always evident at the national or local level in Britain. The nature of immigration to the US remains quite distinct from that in the UK, but the fact that England is aging even more rapidly than America makes the attraction and integration of new immigrant populations a potentially more relevant issue for English cities than American ones.
The American experience issues a stark warning about the nexus between national policy and local innovation. In the opinion of the researchers, the United States devolves too much power and responsibility to local levels of government. The challenges of modern life and a global economy demand the appropriate mix between the foundational investments of higher levels of government and the strategic stewardship of leaders closer to the ground. Devolution as a cornerstone of urban governance and prosperity is not a license for withdrawal of central government investment and interest. These investments and policies should continue as a matter of national priority.

Contact info

Department for Communities and Local Government
Phone: +44 20 7944 4400
contactus@communities.gsi.gov.uk

Publication date

29/11/2006

Researcher

Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program

Links

Download the report “State of the English cities: the state of American cities” (PDF, Eng, 2.1 MB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Economy knowledge & employment

Keywords

Urban economy