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Jane Jacobs

ning, which uses urban-growth or urban-service

Introduction

boundaries, rules requiring adequate financing

wryly observed

for urban services before the issuance of build-

that a region is

ing permits, and similar tools to direct growth

More than two out of three Americans live

“an area safely

to certain areas and away from areas designat-

in an urbanized area, which the Census Bureau

ed as preserves or reserves.

defines as “a densely settled area that has a cen-

larger than the

sus population of at least 50,000.”1 Urbanized

Economists have focused on specific urban

last one to whose

problems. Harvard economist Edward Glaeser

areas are identified by the name of the most

sees regional governments as a solution to

prominent city or cities in the area, such as St.

problems we

housing affordability problems. “Land use

Louis or Minneapolis–St. Paul. But, in fact,

found no

regulations seem to drive housing supply and

most urban areas are made up of dozens, and

solution.”

determine which regions are growing,” Glaeser

sometimes hundreds, of municipal units of

observes. “A more regional approach to hous-

government, including cities, towns, villages,

ing supply might reduce the tendency of many

counties, and special districts of various kinds.

localities to block new construction” (empha-

What is the best way to govern these urban-

sis added).3

ized areas? Should cities and other municipal

governments be allowed to compete with one

Despite these claims and speculations, there

another for residents, businesses, and funding

has been little research showing whether

from state and federal governments? Or

regional governments can actually make urban

should planning and certain other regional

areas more attractive and more affordable. As

functions be given to a regional government

UC Berkeley political scientist Margaret Weir

that oversees each urban area?

observes, the literature on regional govern-

Many planners and some economists have

ments “does not connect regional processes

argued that regional governments are better

with regional outcomes, [so] we do not know

enough about what makes regions successful.”4

suited than local governments to solving

problems such as housing. Urban planners say

Another argument for planning is that

that regional governments can make cities and

there are certain problems that are regional,

their suburbs more livable and affordable for

and only a regional government staffed by

both businesses and residents. Planners specif-

regional planners can solve those problems.

ically oppose leap-frog development, in which a

This argument has been strongly promoted by

former Albuquerque mayor David Rusk.5 In

developer builds housing or other develop-

ment on land that is physically separated from

fact, most of the supposedly regional prob-

existing urbanized land. More recently, plan-

lems—including housing, open space, solid

ners have tried to discourage all greenfield

waste, infrastructure, and transportation—can

development, even if it is physically next to

easily be handled at the local level. The few

existing urbanized land, preferring instead in-

problems that are difficult to solve locally are

fill development, or development of vacant

not made any easier by magnifying those

parcels within an urban area.

problems to a regional scale. As Jane Jacobs

One of the major claims for infill develop-

wryly observed, a region is “an area safely larg-

ment is that it is less expensive than develop-

er than the last one to whose problems we

found no solution.”6

ment on the urban fringe. A 2002 report from

the Rutgers University Center for Urban Policy

A close look at the data for America’s

Research titled The Costs of Sprawl—2000 esti-

urbanized areas reveals that regional growth-

mated that low-density suburban development

management planning generally does not pro-

at the urban fringe imposes about $11,000

duce the benefits claimed for it. States and

more in urban-service costs on communities

regions with strong regional governments

than more compact development.2

tend to have the least affordable housing and

are often growing more slowly than regions

To avoid such costs, planners favor a form

with weak regional governments. This sug-

of planning known as growth-management plan-

2