E. Razin, MUNICIPAL REFORM IN THE TEL-AVIV METROPOLIS - METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENTOR METROPOLITAN COOPERATION, Environment and planning. C, Government & policy, 14(1), 1996, pp. 39-54
In this paper the influence of macrosocietal shifts on municipal refor
ms in metropolitan areas, as reflected by the cyclic swing from period
s of increased efforts to rationalize metropolitan governance to perio
ds of acceptance and promotion of a fragmented pattern, is demonstrate
d. An analogy between the changes in industrial organization and munic
ipal organization is suggested. The paper is focused on Israel's econo
mic core region-the Tel Aviv metropolis-with surveys of reports of com
missions dealing with municipal reforms and of boundary commissions as
sessing claims for municipal boundary changes between 1960 and 1993. A
unique feature of Tel Aviv is the region's past failure to implement
proposals for major rationalization during a period when such reforms
were common in countries with similar political systems. This failure
was a result of specific political and geographical factors that count
erbalanced the broad processes that supported reform. The subsequent p
eriod of economic stagnation weakened prospects for comprehensive refo
rms. Renewed growth in the 1990s has intensified pressures for municip
al change but has not been associated with the comeback of old notions
of metropolitan government. Rather, flexible modes of cooperation and
coordination appear to be preferred, priority being given to reorgani
zing local government in the urban-rural fringes of the metropolis rat
her than dealing with the inner parts of the metropolis.