Green Dreams, Concrete Realities: Overcoming Climate Hurdles in American Mid-Sized Cities

Author(s): 

Eric Scheuch

ISPS ID: 
isps25-04
Full citation: 
Scheuch, E. (2025). Green Dreams, Concrete Realities: Overcoming Climate Hurdles in American Mid-Sized Cities. Urban Affairs Review, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10780874241305548
Abstract: 
There exists a contradiction in the literature on city size and policy outcomes between those who expect a positive relationship between city size and policy outcomes and those who expect mid-sized cities to be best at providing services. I evaluate this contradiction in the context of climate policy through original fieldwork in four mid-sized cities. Additionally, existing studies of climate policy in mid-sized cities focus on internal best practices for climate policy, while the broader literature on urban climate politics emphasizes the intersectional nature of economic and political context. I evaluate how these previous findings, drawn from research in large or small communities, apply to mid-sized cities. I find that, for my cities, the relationship between size and policy is more nuanced than previous findings expect, while institutions, state capacity, and environmental coalitions all play a crucial role. Finally, I highlight the importance of overcoming the physical legacy of industrialization.
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Publication date: 
2025
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