Bringing JFK to Memphis

“The city and its suburbs are interdependent parts of a single community, bound together by the web of transportation and other public facilities and by common economic interests. Bold programs in individual jurisdictions are no longer enough. Increasingly, community development must be a cooperative venture toward the common goals of the metropolitan region as a whole. This requires the establishment of an effective and comprehensive planning process in each metropolitan area embracing all major activities, both public and private, which shape the community.” -John F. Kennedy, 1961

The call for regionalism is nothing new, as the date of the quote indicates, but when will we finally move forward and start thinking on the regional level? Many cities across the US are experiencing difficulties managing the balance of residents, businesses, and investments that is needed to be considered healthy and resilient. The reasons why the Memphis metro has fallen behind peer cities in terms of competitiveness could be attributed to many things, but one underlying theme that influences many overall outcomes is the lack of coordinated efforts among the many municipalities and governing bodies in the area. The lack of a regionally-integrated approach to topics such as housing, land use, and economic development results in competition between local municipalities that has detrimental effects within our region. One of the greatest issues is social and economic polarization that amplifies the divide between the city and its suburbs. When these impacts are viewed from the national level, the missed opportunities that transpire seem increasingly foolish. Other economies across the world are taking steps to competitively position themselves in a global market while we squander efforts on intra-regional competition.

Obviously, an understanding must be reached between central cities and their surrounding municipalities concerning the interdependence of the urban and rural areas. The residents of suburban development generally have a notion that the problems of the central city will never invade their space. In reality, the competition that exists between municipalities within a region has the effect of situating suburban communities with the same risks as the central city as continued development moves further out (Orfield, 1997, 7). Robert Fishman found that diminishing the incentive for competition by employing a concerted effort at regional planning has the potential to strengthen the existing regional core and prevent continued peripheral development (2000, 118). Again, many stagnant metros such as Memphis are not seeing significant growth and rather, they have a redistribution of resources within the region that moves resources further and further away from the central city. Myron Orfield was one of the first to be able to effectively document AND convey the message that if suburban areas do not adopt a regional agenda, they too will eventually become susceptible to the problems found in the urban core (1997, 7). The result of his efforts is the regionally integrated Twin Cities of Minnesota.

Now that you are increasingly concerned about the fate of our area, let us see if there is any hope….There is!!! The current presidential administration and forward-thinking senators have similarly taken notice of the perils of unmitigated development and are increasingly steering grant opportunities toward recipients that can demonstrate regionally-focused, collaborative efforts in sustainable community development. For any planning program to be considered successful it must sustainably balance equity, economic, environmental, and livability principles. To achieve this at the regional level, all entities involved must recognize that the region functions as a single unit and that collaboration yields the greatest result. The Memphis metro has only engaged in formal regional planning at a very low level thus far. Now is the time to step back from our self-serving local community interests and view our metropolitan issues as an inter-related whole. HUD Sustainable Communities grants (we missed the first one but there is another round coming) and EDA economic development grants offer huge reward to communities that are ready to realign their thinking. Also keep an eye on the Livable Communities Act that could provide $3.75 billion in competitive grants for communities that demonstrate dedication to sustainable, regionally-focused planning efforts. The only question left is whether or not our metro area is ready to move forward and cooperate…


Fishman, Robert. (2000). “The Death and Life of American Regional Planning”. Reflections on Regionalism Bruce Katz, (Ed.). Washington, D.C: Brookings Institution Press.

Orfield, M. (January 01, 1997). METROPOLITICS. The Brookings Review, 15, 1, 6-9.