Rich Schragger on the Power of Cities
On this episode of Free Range, Mike Livermore speaks with UVA Law colleague Rich Schragger, a leading expert on local government, federalism, and urban policy and the author of City Power: Urban Governance in a Global Age. In this episode Schragger discusses the theory of growth in cities and whether or not it is policy independent, how cities should act for justice rather than economic growth, and the difference in tax and redistribution leverage between cities and states.
Episode is an appropriate teaching tool for but not limited to the following topics & courses: urban and environmental planning, social justice, economics, city and state policy
Discussion Questions
- Is growth in cities a policy independent process? Why or why not?
- Is it possible to ever learn the relationship between policy and cities?
- How is economic power and leverage for redistribution different for cities versus states?
Additional Readings
- City of Power: Urban Governance in a Global Age
- Want Empowered Cities? Start by understanding city power (2017)
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