Where are the Geographers? Newly Incorporated Municipalities (NIMs) in the South

Abstract

The creation of new cities can have dramatic impacts on urban landscapes regarding tax rates, land use patterns, school districts, and the provision of other municipal services. Between 1990 and 2005, 193 newly incorporated municipalities (NIMs) were created in the South. The study of these new cities falls under the purview of the larger field of boundary change. Boundary change can take the form of annexation, consolidation/ merger, secession, the formation of special districts, and incorporation. This paper examines the current literature on the different forms of boundary change and provides potential explanations for why municipal incorporation is an area of research that has been overlooked by geographers. Through a case study of municipal incorporation in the South, this paper will then explore the ways in which geographers can contribute to our understanding of this topic.

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