Category: city assembly

Although there is ample evidence for ‘connecting’ cities programmatically, there are fewer examples of ‘networks’ of cities working together for common cause, especially within the realm of economic development.  Increasingly there have been efforts to create portfolios of cities in convenings that may lead to peer to peer information exchange, but this author has been looking for cooperative activities between families of cities with similar needs/profiles.

In terms of connecting cities, the ‘Sister Cities’ program stands out as one of the first international programs aimed to connect individuals across continents.   Formally introduced by President Eisenhower in 1956, the Sister Cities International’s mission is to “promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation — one individual, one community at a time.” [sister cities.org]  These programs range in effectiveness and activities, depending on the core institutions that started the individual programs. Over time cross-border and cross-cultural relationships have flourished based on cultural exchanges.  On occasion these ‘relationships’ are set up to formalize specific business/commerce exchanges, such as Massachusetts’ Sister City program with Basel, Switzerland,  thanks to both cities’ direct links between  their biotechnology clusters.  The official Sister City website acknowledges the organization’s goals of building economic partnerships via personal and professional networks developed initially through cultural exchanges; these networks can further evolved into conduits to leverage additional commercial and political activity.  However, this model is point to point, and not necessarily a  cross-point structure.

Additional types of network organizations connect cities.  There are industry- or topic-affiliated national networks like the National League of Cities, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the National Urban League, many of which might have sub-committees that convene cities with similar attributes.  More specific workshop type of ‘peer to peer’ structures such as the Mayors’ Institute for City Design, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the American Architectural Foundation, and ‘CEO for Cities’ that sponsors national conferences the bring regional leaders together for topic-specific networking and collaboration.  Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City has been an avid champion of coordinating urban policies across cities with his Mayor’s Challenge, and Mayor’s Against Illegal Guns programs. Although not specifically a ‘city’ network, cities such as those inhabited by the Ivy League schools and other similar anchor institutions create natural frameworks for the discussion of localized economic development.

Another illustration of connectivity is the economic connectivity between a hub city and its relational support cities as well as the  ‘twin cities’ model where the economic underpinning of two cities located on close proximity  (e.g., St. Paul and Minneapolis) is inextricably interdependent; they often share regional planning and/or transportation systems, despite having separate funding structures. Additionally in terms of regional ‘hubs’ of innovation, the industry cluster has been a lens through which one might examine families of smaller cities that make up one larger metropolis. In fact, the Obama administration has fostered numerous competitive business development programs aimed at recognizing industry cluster activities that may include multiple cities, including cities/counties that are across state lines: Portland Regional Clean Tech Advance Initiative (OR & WA), and the ARK accelerator (AR, MO, OK). However, all of these are spatially co-located.

Could a network of cities be established that further collects cities into a recognized effective municipal ‘agency’ network?

this image from a report on network analysis of music production

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Inspired by the historic greenway developed in the late 19th century for Boston, by Frederick Law Olmstead, it dawned on me that an equally important set of ‘rings’ around Boston are historic and currently critical supportive economies of the smaller cities in New England.  If one were to look at successive waves of economic development that produced mini-economies distributed throughout New England, and transportation infrastructure that links them, one could see a pattern of many necklaces.  These interconnected relationships are critical for understanding both the ‘metropolitan’ development challenges and opportunities.

Drawing a ring around the ‘Hub’ city you could draw on nearer economies that ring on 495, such as Lowell/Lawrence, Worcester, Providence RI and Fall River/New Bedford–these cities all have independent industrial foci historically, and have served as important supportive immigrant hubs to the overall New England economy. As development and economic pressures create less affordability in the Boston core, these cities will become increasingly important as part of the network of choices available for residential and commercial development.  Although better connected by roadway than other transportation infrastructure, there is intra-regional train transport to the ‘core.’

Going out one further ring, you start to recognize another ‘chain’ of New England cities that have the ability to have their own identity, regionally, as well as a growing commercial hubs of their own. Portland ME, Manchester NH, Springfield MA, Hartford CT, and New London CT.  However, with current economic state-led policies, it is likely that they will be considered independent of these other centers, and in fact poised to ‘compete’ which may promote inefficient and wasteful efforts, especially within Economic Development agencies.  Broadly they can stand on their own feet, but they are increasingly important as alternative options for talented people to move to, and could provide additional assets to the overall mega- regional economy if part of a comprehensive collaborative vision.  Instead of a connective tissue of greenspace (such as the Emerald Necklace), a connective tissue of talent (one that is mobile and interconnected!) should be the basis for developing policy that helps facilitate and support these ‘rings.’
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Although spatially and geographically rings, these cities have more complex patterns of connectivity that need to be considered…and although the regions in between are also part of the overall economy, the city to city relationship can be enhanced for further productivity and growth, especially across state boundaries (and policy jurisdictions)  that might be getting in the way.