Miami Valley Metropatterns: A Regional Agenda for Community and Stability in the Miami Valley

Abstract

This research identifies the suburban typology of Miami Valley through a study of the social and fiscal disparities within the region. Municipal tax base and other demographic data, such as poverty rates measured at the school-level, are used to show wide variations in the capacities of suburban municipalities to provide local public services. The results show that 77% percent of Miami Valley's residents live in municipalities that either show clear signs of current fiscal and social stress or are at-risk of such difficulties in the near future. A range of regional fiscal, planning, and governance reforms are also evaluated.