ABSTRACT
In the United States, cities operate within a federal system as just one layer of governments inside an intergovernmental structure. Cities are constrained from above, mainly by states, but also have to manage relationships with other cities and governmental units, like school boards and special districts. In today's environment, city managers are relying more upon collaborative management and networking to rise to these challenges. This chapter explores these relationships around the city. Cities navigate horizontal and vertical dimensions of action. The chapter looks at intergovernmental relations (IGR), including regionalism, to the extent they drive cities toward more effective action. In today's metropolitan America, fragmentation, too many overlapping governmental units, is the chief feature of government organizations. Planning technologies combined with e-government tools are enabling agencies to offer services such as online mapping, fee processing, and submission of applications relating to land and economic development.
