Metropolitan Governance:Metropolitan Governance:Understanding the Management Understanding the Management

ChallengesChallenges

Jefferey M. SellersJefferey M. SellersUniversity of Southern California (USA)University of Southern California (USA)

Presented at USC/World Bank Megacity Workshop, February 4, Presented at USC/World Bank Megacity Workshop, February 4, 2009, Washington, D.C.2009, Washington, D.C.

The emerging metropolitan The emerging metropolitan dimension of governancedimension of governance

Urbanization => horizontal spreadUrbanization => horizontal spread• Of citiesOf cities• Of exurban regions linked to citiesOf exurban regions linked to cities• Of urban-rural linkagesOf urban-rural linkages

Horizontal dimension added to governanceHorizontal dimension added to governance Metropolitan challenges extend Metropolitan challenges extend beyond beyond

megacitiesmegacities, but most pronounced there, but most pronounced there North-South differencesNorth-South differences

• Shape of urban regionsShape of urban regions• Relations to global economyRelations to global economy• Governance institutions and capacitiesGovernance institutions and capacities

Investigating metropolitan governanceInvestigating metropolitan governance

INSTITUTIONS: World Report on : World Report on Decentralization and Local Democracy, database Decentralization and Local Democracy, database of local government infrastructures (national of local government infrastructures (national institutional and fiscal data (Sellers and Lidström institutional and fiscal data (Sellers and Lidström 2007))2007))

DISTRIBUTION OF SERVICESDISTRIBUTION OF SERVICES: : International Metropolitan Observatory, Phase III: Governance and Metropolitan Inequality (demographic, budget and output data on samples from ten countries including Brazil, China, India, S. Africa, Poland)

SPATIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES: China-India Urban Environmental Governance Study (remote sensing, GIS data on 20 cities over 30 years)

Amalgamation of Greater Bangalore, 2007Amalgamation of Greater Bangalore, 2007

Urban growth in greater Bangalore, Urban growth in greater Bangalore, 1973-20061973-2006

(A) 1973 to 1992, (B) 1992 to 1999, (C) 1999 to 2000, (D) 2000 to 2006

Greater Bangalore 11/1/2008Greater Bangalore 11/1/2008

Services in peripheries of large Services in peripheries of large urban areas in developing regionsurban areas in developing regions

Growing disparities in living conditions within metro regionsGrowing disparities in living conditions within metro regions Even outside informal settlements, services (education, Even outside informal settlements, services (education,

health, also infrastructure) in peripheral poor localities health, also infrastructure) in peripheral poor localities usually inferior usually inferior

Rural and smaller urban local government forms provide Rural and smaller urban local government forms provide fewer administrative and political capacitiesfewer administrative and political capacities

Low self-generated revenues outside of urban centers or Low self-generated revenues outside of urban centers or affluent communitiesaffluent communities

Underutilization of existing fiscal resources in poor Underutilization of existing fiscal resources in poor communitiescommunities

Expenditures in poor metro towns go predominantly to Expenditures in poor metro towns go predominantly to redistributive services (less to administration, infrastructure)redistributive services (less to administration, infrastructure)

Environmental degradation undermines agriculture, health, Environmental degradation undermines agriculture, health, compounds service challengescompounds service challenges

National and intermediate level policies toward place equity National and intermediate level policies toward place equity address regional and rural-urban disparities rather than address regional and rural-urban disparities rather than emerging disparities within metropolitan regionsemerging disparities within metropolitan regions

Dimensions of metropolitan Dimensions of metropolitan governance institutionsgovernance institutions

Spatial coverageSpatial coverage Institutional thicknessInstitutional thickness Democratic depthDemocratic depth Sector-specificitySector-specificity Centrality to higher-level policy-Centrality to higher-level policy-

makingmaking

Effective institutions for metro Effective institutions for metro governance: observationsgovernance: observations

Beyond a single megapolitan jurisdiction to pragmatic “new Beyond a single megapolitan jurisdiction to pragmatic “new regionalist” approachesregionalist” approaches

Multilevel governance (with intermediate and/or national Multilevel governance (with intermediate and/or national government involvement) crucial to effective initiatives and government involvement) crucial to effective initiatives and distributive equitydistributive equity

Comparative success of sector-specific metro governance Comparative success of sector-specific metro governance (airports, roads, waste collection)(airports, roads, waste collection)

Need for national and intermediate policies (grants, Need for national and intermediate policies (grants, programs) similar to those in developed countries to programs) similar to those in developed countries to address intra-metropolitan disparities in servicesaddress intra-metropolitan disparities in services

Strengthening of administration and political process in Strengthening of administration and political process in peripheral local governments crucial to better, more peripheral local governments crucial to better, more equitable service provisionequitable service provision

Cost-effectiveness of institutional, infrastructure and Cost-effectiveness of institutional, infrastructure and planning initiatives in planning initiatives in emerging emerging megacitiesmegacities