Regional Solutions for Rural and Urban Challenges

• Author: Brian Dabson
• Date: 01 December 2019
• Published date: 01 December 2019
• DOI: 10.1177/0160323X20925132
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article

Regional Solutions for Rural

and Urban Challenges

Brian Dabson

1

Keywords

rural–urban interactions, regional collaboration, equity

The complex and dynamic nature of rural–

urban interactions tests the capacity of exist-

ing governance structures to address pressing

regional challenges. There have been decades

of efforts to employ regional mechanisms

that embrace cross-functional and cross-

jurisdiction approaches, ranging from formal

authorities to collaborations of local govern-

ments and civic organizations to more informal

networks. As these have sought to wrestle with

issues of limited technical and fiscal capacity

and of fragmentation of structures, policies,

and resources, they have been challe nged by

concerns about the loss of local autonomy as

they pursue regional collective action. How-

ever, with growing concern about rural–urban

dissonance and divides, regional collaboration

may offer a powerful and intentional way of

addressing rural–urban disparities. This article

explores how issues of governance, collabora-

tion, and regional imbalances and inequities

are being addressed by innovative regional

efforts to improve outcomes for everyone, rural

and urban.

A recent research project, Regional Solu-

tions for Rural and Urban Challenges, explores

the premise that collaboration can be an effec-

tive way of improving social and economic

opportunity and health for all people and all

places in any given region. The project sets out

to find and document examples of regions from

across the United States that are pursuing con-

certed efforts to ensure that rural areas, low-

income communities, and people of color

are not left behind. The focus is on regional

organizations and intermediaries that show

intentionality in fostering rural–ur ban connec-

tions; addressing issues of geographic and

racial/ethnic inequity; and facilitating colla-

boration across public, private, and nonprofit

sectors. Of interest is whether there are cases

of regional ecosystems where local and

regional community and economic develop-

ment efforts are integrated with statewide insti-

tutions and networks for sustained impact.

The project combines an extensive literature

review, interviews with a diverse array of

experts, and seven detailed case studies, lead-

ing to a set of crosscutting findings with impli-

cations for policy and practice. Its aim is not to

evaluate the effectiveness of the various part-

nerships but to learn how their ability to address

rural–urban dynamics has been shaped by their

historical, demographic, geographic, and insti-

tutional context. This article presents a synop-

sis of the research.

The literature review sheds light on estab-

lished and current thinking on rural–urban con-

nections and linkages and on regional

collaboration and governance. It draws from

1

School of Government, University of North Carolina at

Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Corresponding Author:

Brian Dabson, 110 Blackford Court, Durham, NC 27712,

USA.

Email: dabson@sog.unc.edu

State and Local GovernmentReview

2019, Vol. 51(4) 283-291

ªThe Author(s) 2020

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DOI: 10.1177/0160323X20925132

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