What will drive the direction of local government during the next decade and beyond? Where will the "next cities" - those places that possess the attributes that attract and retain talented individuals - be located? What big ideas will transform our communities into great, sustainable places to live, work, and play? Nine issues are paramount for local governments to consider in the coming decade.
For the first time in history, more people live in metropolitan rather than rural areas. Unlike in other countries, however, people in the United States live in metro regions comprising many jurisdictions, rather than in megacities. This fragmentation heightens our sense of community but complicates our efforts to achieve results around the larger issues of our time, such as job creation, safety evaluation, environment, healthcare and infrastructure.
Economies are now driven multi-nationally, nationally and regionally. Yet, most policies and organisational structures throughout the United States do not reflect this reality and, in fact, often impede the ability to work collaboratively. The first challenge is to develop incentives to encourage multijurisdictional and multistate action while preserving the sense of community that we value so highly.
Share