Metropolitan political reorganization as a politics of urban growth: the case of San Fernando Valley secession

Much of the literature on metropolitan political reorganization (defined here as secession, annexation, and incorporation) understands the phenomenon as a self-contained politics. That is, the literature mostly analyzes the politics surrounding reorganization in terms of the powers and responsibilities of the local state itself. Specifically, the literature finds that the main motivations for reorganization are: (1) a desire to reorganize the local collective consumption; and (2) a desire among outlying communities for more local control. I argue that the literature is not wrong, but that the politics of municipal reorganization must be seen in a broader context than just the formal powers and responsibilities of the local state. Specifically, I argue that reorganization is embedded in a wider politics of urban growth. To bring out the relationship between reorganization and growth politics, the paper analyzes the case of a secession movement in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. I show that, among other goals, secessionists are trying to restructure the local state so that they can now more effectively pursue their agenda with respect to local growth. The paper ends by suggesting some implications of this finding. Because growth politics in American cities are primarily a struggle over urban space, linking reorganization to growth politics provides a more complete understanding of the relationship between the politics of the local state and the geography of the city.  2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.