The introduction of micropolitan areas as an official statistical category has raised questions about this intermediate category of formerly rural places. This thesis explores the conventional idea that small urban areas lack economic and social autonomy and that their development relies on proximity to metropolitan areas. Three central questions will examine the concept of autonomy among Georgia micropolitans with regard to income, industry and demographic structures. Workforce commuting patterns show micropolitans in the northern part of the state have less autonomy than those located in Southern Georgia. Policy should reflect these differences, address the reliance on declining manufacturing sectors, and concerns about poverty and education. Profiles of Georgia micropolitans and case studies of three micropolitan cities offer a baseline for policy makers and future researchers. The information provides the framework for questions about the dependence on metropolitans, the ability to provide jobs for the workforce and potential for economic development. Methods include regression analysis and a comparative case study of Georgia micropolitans with a developing Dutch region. The case of the Twente region highlights strategies to transform an old industrial area into an innovative hotspot with an educated workforce.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The U.S. Office of Management and Budget’s designation of Micropolitan Statistical Areas brought to light communities with quasi-rural characteristics that had previously been ignored or hidden between their metro and non-metro category. The present study analyzes three recognition elements: political atmosphere, geography, and population characteristics of the state to analyze their effects on micropolitan areas’ economic strength.

As the U.S. economy changed from industry to information, small cities suffered a decline in quality of life and an increase in poverty. The existing research has focused on demographics and descriptive attributes of micropolitan cities, but not on efforts to overcome these challenges. The purpose of this study was to explore and understand how a micropolitan city used economic and community development policies to rebuild its economy and improve quality of life. Using Holland's conceptualization of complex adaptive systems, research questions focused on triggers for policy creation and its use to create social change by improving the local economy and reducing the effects of poverty. Data for this qualitative case study were collected through open-ended questions in semi structured interviews with policymakers (elected officials), policy implementers (city employees), and policy influencers (community leaders). Interviews were supplemented with document review and photographic observation. The data were analyzed using descriptive coding, categorical aggregation, and direct interpretation to identify overarching themes of acceptance, resilience, building on strengths, and the interwoven nature of policy. The findings indicate that economic and community development policies can lead to positive changes such as the rehabilitation of blighted areas, growth of new and existing businesses, and influence state policy, illustrating the attributes of complex adaptive systems. The positive social change implications of this study include recommendations to city administrators to develop economic and community development policy based on their unique circumstances, to build partnerships, promote community change, and build a positive mindset to benefit their city and citizens.

This paper uses a factor-augmented vector autoregressive model to examine the impact of monetary policy shocks on housing prices across metropolitan and micropolitan regions. To simultaneously estimate the model parameters and unobserved factors we rely on Bayesian estimation and inference. Policy shocks are identified using high-frequency suprises around policy announcements as an external instrument. Impulse reponse functions reveal differences in regional housing price responses, which in some cases are substantial. The heterogeneity in policy responses is found to be significantly related to local regulatory environments and housing supply elasticities. Moreover, housing prices responses tend to be similar within states and adjacent regions in neighboring states. / Series: Working Papers in Regional Science