Private Metropolis: The Eclipse of Local Democratic Governance

The book "Private Metropolis" explores the complex ecology of quasi-public and privatized institutions that mobilize and administer many of the political, administrative, and fiscal resources of today's metropolitan regions. It argues that these institutions have compromised and even eclipsed democratic processes by moving important policy decisions out of public sight.

Format: Hardback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 03 August 2021
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

In recent decades, metropolitan regions in the United States have witnessed the emergence of a multitude of "shadow governments" that often supersede or replace functions traditionally associated with municipalities and other local governments inherited from the urban past. These shadow governments take various forms, ranging from billion-dollar special authorities that span entire urban regions to public-private partnerships and special districts created to accomplish specific tasks, to privatized gated communities, to neighborhood organizations empowered to receive private and public funds. They finance and administer public services, spanning from the mundane (garbage collection and water utilities) to the transformative (economic development and infrastructure).

Private Metropolis, a groundbreaking book, demonstrates that this complex ecosystem of local governance has compromised and even eclipsed democratic processes by moving important policy decisions out of public sight. The quasi-public institutions of urban governance generally escape the budgetary and statutory restraints imposed on traditional local governments and protect policy decisions from the limitations and vagaries of electoral politics. While moving major policy decisions into a privatized and corporatized realm facilitates efficiency and speed, it comes at the cost of democratic oversight. As a result, the urban electorate is often left debating symbolic issues only tangentially connected to the actual distribution of resources that affect people's lives.

The essays in Private Metropolis grapple with the difficult and timely questions that arise in this context. They explore the ways in which these shadow governments have emerged, the implications of their actions, and the potential for democratic renewal. The book offers a critical analysis of the current state of local governance and provides a roadmap for rebuilding trust and accountability in urban communities.

In conclusion, Private Metropolis is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex ecology of quasi-public and privatized institutions that mobilize and administer many of the political, administrative, and fiscal resources of today's metropolitan regions. The book offers a timely and insightful examination of the challenges and opportunities facing urban governance and provides a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate about the future of our cities and towns.

Dimension: 216 x 140 x 38 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781517910815