Metropolitan Governance

Measuring and Managing Sustainability Performance

The Strength of Green Ties

This project focuses on climate-adaptive collective action in U.S. metropolitan regions, a pressing issue in the 21st century due to climate change. Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), an estimated $600 billion is being directed to climate-related programs across multiple federal agencies. The amount directed to states, local, and tribal governments could top $120 billion. This research employs a unique mixed-methods approach, including longitudinal surveys, interviews with municipal officials in four key cities, and network analysis to study the distribution and implementation of these efforts. The objectives are twofold: understanding the factors shaping network participation and exploring how interactions drive adaptive changes in organizational and network structures. 

 

This research offers a comprehensive understanding of collaborative governance in complex urban systems, bridging public administration, organizational science, and network science. By expanding upon Institutional Collective Action (ICA) and Functional Collective Action (FCA) dynamics, this research contributes to developing collective action theories. Additionally, the longitudinal approach provides insights into network changes over time, crucial for addressing sustainability challenges.

National Study on Resilience, Sustainability Planning, and Partnerships

This report summarizes survey data provided by government officials from 415 US cities with populations of 20,000 or more who completed the survey between April 29 and July 19, 2022.

Dr. Aaron Deslatte of Indiana University, Dr. Michael Siciliano of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Dr. Rachel Krause of the University of Kansas led the study with support from the Indiana University Center for Survey Research.

View the report for cities at least 50,000 residents and fewer than 50,000 residents; and the survey results!