| Popis: |
This chapter discusses the vagaries of the federal government's regional classifications, underscoring the dependent status of smaller cities and towns. Citing examples from Louisiana, the chapter traces shifting official Micropolitan Statistical Area definitions and considers the people- and place-based development challenges that small cities and other intermediate population density regions face. It also analyzes categorizations that set federal funding distributions to hospitals and local governments for programs, such as Medicare and Community Development Block Grants. The chapter proposes reforms to federal statistical organizations and agencies implementing place- and people-based programs. It reviews strategies for small cities that are not close to metropolitan centers to navigate vulnerabilities arising from the volatility in policy-leveraged regional definitions. |
