2021-05-31-NLC-2021年城市状况（英文）_19页_20mb

State of the Cities 2021 Summary

Core Content

The State of the Cities 2021 report provides an in-depth analysis of how cities across the United States have been affected by the pandemic, focusing on key areas such as infrastructure, budgets, public safety, and economic development. It highlights both the challenges and opportunities that emerged in different community types—urban core, suburbs, exurbs, and rural—over the past year.

Main Points and Key Findings

Top Mayoral Priorities (2021)

• Infrastructure: A critical focus due to the pandemic's impact on essential services.
• Budget and Management: Became a top priority as cities began to stabilize financially.
• Public Safety: Increasing emphasis on reimagining safety strategies with a focus on racial equity.
• Economic and Workforce Development: Ongoing challenges in sustaining local economies and employment.

Positive Conditions Supporting Communities

• Home property values: Increased in many areas, reflecting economic recovery.
• Availability of parks, recreation, and green space: Played a key role in community resilience.
• Access to clean water: A top positive condition, especially for exurban and rural communities.
• Remote work: Enabled economic flexibility and reduced pressure on urban centers.
• Sales tax collections: Improved for many cities, indicating economic recovery.

Negative Conditions Impacting Communities

• Affordable housing supply: Dwindled, contributing to an urban-rural divide.
• Inactive/vacant commercial developments: A major challenge for smaller towns.
• Infrastructure funding: Insufficient funding was a primary barrier to progress.
• Price of rentals/apartments: Increased, exacerbating housing insecurity.
• Total general fund revenue: Declined for many cities, especially in the early stages of the pandemic.

Community Type Overview

• Urban Core (12% of sample): Largest cities, with an average population of 103,341.
• Suburban (31% of sample): Cities part of larger urban regions, average population 22,820.
• Exurban (21% of sample): Lower population, with rural characteristics, average population 4,666.
• Rural (36% of sample): Smaller, agriculture-based communities, average population 1,691.

Key Trends and Insights

Infrastructure and Resilience

• Clean water, parks, and broadband emerged as essential infrastructure for pandemic resilience.
• 40% of cities cited access to clean water as a top positive condition.
• 39% of cities reported declining road and bridge quality due to budget constraints.
• Infrastructure funding was a major challenge, with 91% of officials citing insufficient funding as a key factor.

Budgetary Challenges and Federal Support

• 41% of cities experienced a decrease in total general fund revenues.
• 17% cited general fund revenue as a top negative condition.
• Federal funding, particularly from the American Rescue Plan Act, is helping stabilize budgets.
• Property tax revenue remained relatively stable, but fee-based revenues (e.g., utility and parking fees) declined significantly.

Public Safety and Racial Equity

• 60% of officials reported a decrease or no change in crime rates.
• 40% of urban core officials noted an increase in crime, while fewer from other areas did.
• Public safety reforms such as de-escalation training, body cameras, and independent oversight bodies are being prioritized.
• Despite these efforts, public safety did not rank as a top negative or positive condition, suggesting it is not the most pressing issue in terms of impact or perception.

Economic Development and Commercial Decline

• 25% of cities cited inactive/vacant commercial developments as a major negative impact.
• Remote work became a positive driver for economic development, with 26% of cities reporting it as a top positive condition.
• Small towns and rural areas were disproportionately affected by commercial decline, with 20% of exurban and rural officials indicating a major problem in new business starts.
• The "outpost economy" concept, where employment is dispersed to smaller towns, has not yet materialized at scale.

Racial Equity and Economic Disparities

• Urban and suburban officials more frequently reported declining economic outcomes for people of color.
• Exurban and rural areas showed less awareness of racial disparities, highlighting the need for more data disaggregation.
• Rural areas have a growing share of people of color, yet officials struggle to measure and address economic inequities with an equity lens.

Conclusion

The State of the Cities 2021 report underscores the complex and varied impacts of the pandemic across different community types. While essential infrastructure played a crucial role in community resilience, budget constraints and economic challenges remained pervasive. Public safety and racial equity are increasingly at the forefront of mayoral agendas, with cities seeking to implement reforms and improve inclusivity. Remote work and Federal support offer some relief, but affordable housing shortages, commercial decline, and inequitable access to resources continue to pose significant challenges, particularly in smaller and rural communities. The report emphasizes the need for continued Federal investment, data-driven approaches, and equity-focused policies to ensure long-term recovery and resilience.