The Economic Viability of Micropolitan America

316 Pages·2013·19.72 MB·English

by  Gerald L. Gordon

Public Administration G
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC POLICY/176
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As the global recession of 2008 and beyond took hold of the American
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economy, smaller markets were disproportionately affected by job losses as The
well as the resultant brain drains, tax base reductions, diminished housing T
values, and decline of their overall quality of life. So it is not surprising that h
these smaller markets face unique challenges during recovery. The Economic e
Economic Viability

Viability of Micropolitan America addresses the economic history and future E
of small cities and towns across the country, as they have and will continue c
to see dramatic shifts in the roles they play in the extant larger economies. o
n of Micropolitan
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The book discusses the 300-year history of America’s economic structures m
in substantial detail and with an eye on the development and growth of, and
i
the changes to, the economic geography of the United States. It explores the c America

fate of the small cities and towns in America, examining how they emerged V
over time and their economic fate in the future. The author explores what i
a
constitutes a small city or town, who lives there, and how they support their
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families and their communities. He also explores what roles these commu- i
l
nities can play in the larger economic picture. Is it possible that small cities i
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and towns can offer enough in the way of assets and amenities to become y

economic hubs in the future? And if so, will that evolution create such growth o
that it will override and eliminate the very qualities from which they derived f

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their initial appeal?
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With seventy case studies and interviews, the book examines the role of
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business within the future context of community settings. It distills lessons o
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learned into a list of the most prominent and potentially effective tactics for
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other small cities and towns to emulate as they, too, seek to develop their lo- l
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cal economic bases and ensure that their communities can survive and thrive t
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in the twenty-first century.
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K14964
i
c Gerald L. Gordon
ISBN: 978-1-4665-1368-6
a
90000
www.crcpress.com
9 781466 513686
w w w. c r c p r e s s . c o m
K14964 cvr mech.indd 1 11/1/13 2:15 PM
The Economic
Viability of
Micropolitan America
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC POLICY
A Comprehensive Publication Program
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
DAVID H. ROSENBLOOM
Distinguished Professor of Public Administration
American University, Washington, DC
Founding Editor
JACK RABIN
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The Economic
Viability of
Micropolitan America
Gerald L. Gordon
Cover photo: Alex McVeigh
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Contents
Preface .........................................................................................................xvii
Acknowledgments .....................................................................................xxiii
About the Author ........................................................................................xxv
Introduction ..............................................................................................xxvii
1 What Is a Small City/Town? ...................................................................1
2 Economic History of American Cities and Towns ..................................3
3 What We Know Now ............................................................................17
4 Case Studies..........................................................................................23
Interviewing the Experts: Small City Leadership .......................................23
Selecting the Micropolitan Cities for Inclusion in the Research .................27
5 Economic Development Issues of America’s Micropolitan Cities .........29
Issues by City .............................................................................................29
Cities by Issue ............................................................................................47
6 Seventy of America’s Micropolitan Communities Examined ...............51
Aberdeen, South Dakota ............................................................................55
Interview with the Honorable Mike Levson,
Mayor of Aberdeen, South Dakota ...................................................57
Adrian, Michigan ......................................................................................58
Interview with the Honorable Greg DuMars,
Mayor of Adrian, Michigan ..............................................................59
Albany, Oregon ..........................................................................................60
Albany, Oregon: Interview Declined ................................................61
Ardmore, Oklahoma ..................................................................................61
Ardmore, Oklahoma: Interview Declined ........................................62
Athens, Ohio .............................................................................................62
Athens, Ohio: Interview Declined ....................................................63
vii
© 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
viii  ◾  Contents
Bangor, Maine ...........................................................................................63
Interview with the Honorable Cary Weston,
Mayor of Bangor, Maine ..................................................................64
Baraboo, Wisconsin ...................................................................................65
Interview with the Honorable Mike Palm,
Mayor of Baraboo, Wisconsin ...........................................................67
Bartlesville, Oklahoma ..............................................................................68
Bartlesville, Oklahoma: Interview Declined .....................................69
Beckley, West Virginia ...............................................................................69
Interview with the Honorable Emmit Pugh,
Mayor of Beckley, West Virginia ......................................................70
Blackfoot, Idaho ........................................................................................70
Interview with the Honorable Mike Virtue,
Mayor of Blackfoot, Idaho ................................................................71
Blytheville, Arkansas .................................................................................72
Blytheville, Arkansas: Interview Declined ........................................73
Bowling Green, Ohio .................................................................................73
Interview with the Honorable Richard Edwards,
Mayor of Bowling Green, Ohio ........................................................74
Bozeman, Montana....................................................................................75
Interview with the Honorable Sean Becker,
Mayor of Bozeman, Montana ...........................................................76
Brigham City, Utah ..................................................................................77
Interview with the Honorable Dennis Fife,
Mayor of Brigham City, Utah ...........................................................78
Brookings, South Dakota ..........................................................................79
Interview with the Honorable Tim Reed,
Mayor of Brookings, South Dakota ..................................................81
Burlington, Vermont ..................................................................................83
Burlington, Vermont: Interview Declined ........................................83
Carbondale, Illinois ...................................................................................83
Carbondale, Illinois: Interview Declined .........................................84
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania ....................................................................84
Interview with the Honorable Pete Lagiovane,
Mayor of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania ............................................85
Chelsea, Massachusetts ..............................................................................86
Interview with Jay Ash, City Manager of Chelsea, Massachusetts ....88
Chillicothe, Ohio.......................................................................................89
Chillicothe, Ohio: Interview Declined ............................................90
Clarksburg, West Virginia ........................................................................90
Clarksburg, West Virginia: Interview Declined ...............................90
Clinton, Iowa ............................................................................................90
Clinton, Iowa: Interview Declined ....................................................91
© 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
Contents  ◾  ix
Clovis, New Mexico ..................................................................................91
Clovis, New Mexico: Interview Declined .........................................92
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho .................................................................................92
Interview with the Honorable Sandi Bloem,
Mayor of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho ........................................................93
Concord, New Hampshire .........................................................................94
Concord, New Hampshire: Interview Declined ................................94
Cookeville, Tennessee ................................................................................94
Cookeville, Tennessee: Interview Declined .......................................95
Covina, California .....................................................................................95
Covina, California: Interview Declined ............................................96
Culver City, California ..............................................................................96
Culver City, California: Interview Declined .....................................96
Danville, Virginia ......................................................................................96
Interview with the Honorable Sherman Saunders,
Mayor of Danville, Virginia ..............................................................98
Denison, Texas ..........................................................................................99
Denison, Texas: Interview Declined ...............................................100
Dodge City, Kansas .................................................................................100
Dodge City, Kansas: Interview Declined ........................................100
Doral, Florida ..........................................................................................100
Interview with the Honorable J. C. Bermudez,
Mayor of Doral, Florida ..................................................................102
Douglas, Georgia .....................................................................................102
Douglas, Georgia: Interview Declined ............................................103
Durango, Colorado ..................................................................................103
Interview with the Honorable Doug Lyon,
Mayor of Durango, Colorado .........................................................103
Elk Grove, Illinois ....................................................................................105
Interview with the Honorable Craig Johnson,
Mayor of Elk Grove, Illinois ...........................................................106
Elko, Nevada ...........................................................................................106
Interview with the Honorable Chris Johnson,
Mayor of Elko, Nevada ...................................................................108
Elmira, New York ....................................................................................109
Interview with the Honorable Sue Skidmore,
Mayor of Elmira, New York ............................................................110
Enid, Oklahoma ......................................................................................111
Interview with Eric Benson, City Manager of Enid, Oklahoma .....113
Eureka, California ...................................................................................114
Interview with the Honorable Frank Jager,
Mayor of Eureka, California ...........................................................115
© 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC