Introduction to Bridging the “Urban–Rural Divide”

• DOI: 10.1177/0160323X20932624
• Date: 01 December 2019
• Published date: 01 December 2019
• Author: John Accordino
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article
State and Local Government Review
2019, Vol. 51(4) 217-222
Introduction to Bridging
ª The Author(s) 2020
Article reuse guidelines:
the “Urban–Rural Divide”
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/0160323X20932624
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John Accordino1
Keywords
urban–rural divide, urban–rural partnerships, regional development
In recent years, newspaper headlines and com-
Adults in urban counties, . . . have moved even
mentators have bemoaned a growing “urban–
more to the left in recent years . . . . For their part,
rural divide,” characterized by stark differences
rural adults have moved firmly into the Republi-
in political and social attitudes that appear to be
can camp. . . . [Moreover], many urban and rural
fueled, at least in part, by diverging economic
residents feel misunderstood and looked down
fortunes. This special issue describes how state
on by Americans living in other types of commu-
nities. (Parker et al. 2018)
and local governments are working with busi-
nesses, foundations, and other stakeholders to
address the economic challenges that are often
And a study of Gallup survey data from
associated with urban–rural disparity and seek-
2003 to 2018, to be published in 2020 by polit-
ing to create the conditions for shared regional
ical scientists Andrew J. Reeves and Bryant J.
prosperity across urban and rural communities.
Moy, found that:
Although the concept of an urban–rural
“divide” is an overstatement, it contains ele-
[T]he urban-rural political divide . . . is rooted in
ments of truth. As The Atlantic reported shortly
geography and not merely differences in the type
after the 2016 election:
of people living in these places. How close peo-
ple live to a major metropolitan area, defined as
cities of at least 100,000, and their town’s popu-
Of all the overlapping generational, racial, and
lation density play a significant role in shaping
education divides that explained Trump’s stun-
their political beliefs and partisan affilia-
ning upset over Hillary Clinton last week, none
tion. . . . Moreover, the authors found resentment
proved more powerful than the distance between
on the part of rural residents toward urban com-
the Democrats’ continued dominance of the larg-
munities. (Savat 2020)
est metropolitan areas, and the stampede toward
the GOP almost everywhere else. Trump’s vic-
tory was an empire-strikes-back moment for all
the places and voters that feel left behind in an
1 Department of Urban and Regional Studies and Planning,
increasingly diverse, post-industrial, and urba-
L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public
nized America. (Brownstein 2016)
Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA,
USA
In a nationwide attitude survey published
Corresponding Author:
May 22, 2018, Pew Research Center showed
John Accordino, Department of Urban and Regional Stud-
divergent demographic characteristics and
ies and Planning, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government
and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University,
political attitudes between those in urban, sub-
Raleigh Building, Room 3001, Richmond, VA 23284, USA.
urban, and rural counties:
Email: jaccordi@vcu.edu

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218
State and Local Government Review 51(4)
Scholars conducting in-depth sociological
seemed, at least to some, to be moving at gla-
studies of small towns and rural communities
cial speed, once arrived they were like 100-
document feelings of being “left behind” and
year floods, taking everything in their path and
the growth of a “politics of resentment” toward
leaving devastation and despair in their wake.
urban areas whose residents are perceived to
“Rural America needs help,” pleaded Beth
have unfairly jumped to the front of the line
Ford, CEO of Land O’Lakes, Inc., in January
to the American Dream (Wuthnow 2018; Cra-
2020, citing “a shortage of doctors, one in four
mer 2016).
children living in poverty, and up to 24 million
This is not the first instance of rural–urban
people without access to broadband as pressing
antipathy in human history or even in American
rural issues” (Wiltermuth 2020). New York
history (see, e.g., Boehm and Corey 2015). But,
Times economics writer Eduardo Porter
the intensity of negative sentiments reveals
(2018), citing the less-than-optimistic views
powerful forces that are undermining liveli-
of prominent economists wondered: “Can rural
hoods in rural areas, at the same time as they
America be saved?”
draw people into expanding metropolitan
At the same time rural areas have been
regions (Moretti 2012). For much of the nine-
struggling, metropolitan areas have been dra-
teenth and twentieth centuries, urban and rural
matically increasing their populations and
areas seemed to enjoy stability in their eco-
expanding geographically, with every indica-
nomic functions and relationships to each
tion these trends will continue (Nelson and
other. Cities were the centers of economic and
Lang 2011). In a self-reinforcing pattern, busi-
political decision-making, with jobs in product
nesses producing innovative design, software,
design and development, manufacturing,
finance and communication, business, health
finance, business and consumer services, and
care, education, and entertainment services
higher education, specialized health care, enter-
crowd into metropolitan areas to take advan-
tainment, and government. The lifeblood of
tage of pools of talented labor that form as
rural areas was agriculture, forestry, fishing,
high-skilled professionals seek...