Free Essay Example on Leading Small Towns in America: Complex Issues and Engaged Publics

Introduction

According to Catlaw and Stout (2016), it is not easy to govern small towns, and leaders of such towns in America are confronted by a myriad of complex issues. Small towns are multiplex and dense networks whose politics is not only uniquely dynamic but also requires the active engagement of the public to create and enhance community bonds and civic responsibility and capacity. There is a dearth in research regarding the public administration of small towns in America and yet about 33 million people live in small towns (that is about 1 in ten Americans) (Catlaw & Stout, 2016). Because of their dense and multiplex nature, small towns face economic, demographic, social, and technological trends, which affect the traditional way of governing small towns and their established frame of reference.

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Expansion

There has been an expansion of the urban peripheries, with diverse forms of high density ("dispersed city", with isolated or semi-detached single-family homes) and with different typologies. The congestion of these towns has generated impulses for the creation of new peripheral centralities, with greater facilities for highway access than the city center itself (Norris, 2016). Small towns have come to be characterized by the existence of multiple centralities that permeate issues such as democratic participation by civil society in government decision-making, preservation and protection of natural assets, responsible consumption, mobility, and urban planning, fostering the local economy, equity, and social justice.

The governance of small towns is not an easy task because they have limited legal and fiscal autonomy, which creates problems of capacity, resources, and service delivery. These challenges are often magnified in smaller towns. Unlike their larger and bigger town counterparts, small towns have small budgets and small contingents responsible for providing essential functions (Sousa, Mele, & Gomez, 2020). Staff time is limited and opportunities to step back and examine the state of the organization or to review existing services or processes are rare. The role and significance of small cities increase in areas that are far from large urban centers, and become essential for the structuring of the territory, with dynamic effects on their regions. They help keep the rural population in these areas remote, providing them with services and sometimes jobs (Wuthnow, 2019). Although the capacity and resources of small-town governments differ greatly from those of their larger peers, residents' expectations are often not that different when it comes to the services they want.

Subdivision

Small cities can be subdivided based on the economic structure and economic functions they perform, demographic evolution, and morphological characteristics. From the first point of view, there are them with diverse economic functions. Some may be highly specialized, such as industrial, commercial, mining, transportation, or service centers, but others have multiple functions concerning their role in the surrounding space (Basa, 2009). Consequently, when it comes to the governance of small towns, it is important to have a local development strategy. The first step is to know the strengths of the local economy and define, in consultation with the main public and private actors, the lines of action to encourage business development and generate employment.

Secondly, it is essential to create fiscally responsible and inclusive governments. The commune is not only responsible for the city's services and infrastructure, but it must also play a proactive role in generating a good business climate. Programs tax management, financial administration, and participatory budgeting should be created and the local population should be involved in the creation of such programs (Bliss, 2018). It is worth underlining the important concentration of efforts on international cooperation issues by local authorities and specialized bureaucracies, both public and private or in public-private partnership networks, to articulate to transnational trends and processes in these small towns.

Thirdly, governing of small towns should also optimize access to national program resources to improve coverage and quality of urban infrastructure and services. Those in leadership positions of these towns should develop capacities for project preparation and execution and have the necessary resources to meet the eligibility criteria (Roundy, 2017). This expands the leader's framework for action, by allowing the leveraging of resources and the co-financing of its projects. It is also important to build an institutional framework that facilitates public-private dialogue. Municipal and city competitiveness committees should be created, and they should be responsible for preparing the competitiveness and economic growth plan for the town and monitoring its implementation in coordination with the private sector.

Fourth, the governance of small towns in America should align technical-professional training to the objectives of the local development strategy. This alignment not only benefits the local economy but also revitalizes and expands the actions of technical-professional training entities (Truchil, 2017). Additionally, better alignment between local academic entities and the development strategy opens up new opportunities for applied research and the best use of local resources.

Governments

Regional governments of small cities play a decisive role in promoting greater territorial equity, connecting urban, peri-urban and rural areas, and promoting social cohesion and endogenous development (Wang, Liu, Sykes, & Wang, 2019). Small cities are not isolated units, but are integrated into a certain physical space and are part of territorial systems. Integrated regional strategies of small cities can open the way to more sustainable, inclusive, and efficient development.

The local government of small towns should also facilitate access to financing and business support services by local small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs). The municipality can play a very important role by providing training and advice to local small entrepreneurs on issues such as preparing business plans and accessing information/opportunities in new markets (Basa, 2009). The town’s local government can redefine processes and establish a service center for local entrepreneurs, to reduce the processing time required for licenses, operating permits, or the payment of municipal taxes.

It is also important for small city governments to create an enabling environment, where regional and local governments can experiment, innovate, and capitalize on their resources. Multilevel governance requires a paradigm shift in the relationship between different levels of government in small cities (Norris, 2016). Moreover, cooperation and collaborative governance should also be encouraged between regions, between regions and local governments, and between small cities. The regional and local integrated strategic plans need the intense participation and involvement of territorial networks and local actors. This is because the territorial approach to development contributes to capitalizing on local and regional potential.

The local government should also involve the private sector in the provision of municipal services and urban development investments. This implies having the capacity to identify areas where there are business opportunities for the private sector while improving the quality and coverage of municipal services (Beghelli, Guastella, & Pareglio, 2020). In addition to the areas traditionally provided for public-private partnerships (such as solid waste management or water services), it is also possible to think of new urban developments and projects for the regeneration and revitalization of consolidated urban areas, among others.

Conclusion

Although small towns may be cut off from major cities, the town’s local government can contribute to the efficiency of local producers by facilitating their access to new technologies and markets. Town governments can also contribute to improving the efficiency of the main local companies, facilitating the formation of producer associations, the exchange of experiences on production technologies, and the better knowledge of new markets. It is also important to strengthen local leaderships that have a medium and long-term vision. It is necessary to make visible and strengthen the work of local leaders (mayors, local community, entrepreneurs, officers, among others), who have a vision of their city in the medium and long terms.

References

Basa, C. (2009). Migration, local development and governance in small towns: two examples from the Philippines. Working Paper Series on Rural-Urban Interactions and Livelihood Strategies.
https://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/10576IIED.pdf

Beghelli, S., Guastella, G., & Pareglio, S. (2020). Governance fragmentation and urban spatial expansion: Evidence from Europe and the United States. Review of Regional Research, 40(1), 13-32. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10037-019-00136-0

Bliss, D. (2018). Economic Development and Governance in Small Town America: Paths to Growth. Routledge. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324795687_Economic_development_and_governance_in_small_town_America_Paths_to_growth

Catlaw, T. J., & Stout, M. (2016). Governing smalltown America today: The promise and dilemma of dense networks. Public Administration Review, 76(2), 225-229.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/puar.12520

Norris, D. F. (2016). Metropolitan governance in America. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781315595139

Roundy, P. T. (2017). “Small town” entrepreneurial ecosystems. Journal of entrepreneurship in emerging economies, 9(3), 238-262. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313965997_Small_Town_Entrepreneurial_Ecosystems_Implications_for_Developed_and_Emerging_Economies

Sousa, M. J., Melé, P. M., & Gómez, J. M. (2020). Technology, governance, and a sustainability model for small and medium-sized towns in Europe. Sustainability, 12(3), 884-899. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338804566_Technology_Governance_and_a_Sustainability_Model_for_Small_and_Medium-Sized_Towns_in_Europe

Truchil, B. E. (2017). The Politics of Local Government: Governing in Small Towns and Suburbia. Lexington Books. https://books.google.co.ke/books/about/The_Politics_of_Local_Government.html?id=SQmYyAEACAAJ&redir_esc=y

Wang, X., Liu, S., Sykes, O., & Wang, C. (2019). Characteristic Development Model: A Transformation for the Sustainable Development of Small Towns in China. Sustainability, 11(13), 3753-3774. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334459619_Characteristic_Development_Model_A_Transformation_for_the_Sustainable_Development_of_Small_Towns_in_China

Wuthnow, R. (2019). The left behind: Decline and rage in small-town America. Princeton University Press. https://bookshop.org/books/the-left-behind-decline-and-rage-in-small-town-america/9781982523534