Bigger is Better, or is it Smaller?

Abstract

St. Louis has a long-standing tradition as an urban workshop for academic analysis in part because small local governments in St. Louis County have provided units of analysis for a wide range of topics related to urban service provision and urban development. Recently, a federal commission and a board authorized by the Missouri constitution separately studied governmental fragmentation and how it relates to the long-term viability of St. Louis County. The federal commission praised the existing arrangement as a model for urban America to consider. The Missouri board proposed dramatic changes in local governmental structure and finance. Reorganization for the St. Louis area is discussed in the context of these two starkly contrasting studies.