The Forum for Medium Metropolitan Regions provides a place for studying issues and debating challenges and opportunities facing medium metropolitan areas (a medium metropolitan region is defined as a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) not exceeding 600,000 persons). The Forum represents the first initiative through which public and private sector leaders in Georgia’s medium metropolitan regions can come together to address their challenges and future.
Establishment of The Forum is the result of years of observation that, when it comes to growth and economic vibrancy in Georgia, most of the attention appears to focus on the Atlanta region or rural Georgia. The medium metropolitan regions in the state were thus lumped into either category depending upon the issue or program, and they fit neither. Each of the medium metropolitan regions is a vital economic center, not only for its own metro area, but for the rural counties that surround it.
The Forum became a reality with the advent of the 1st Biennial Urban Congress and Summit held in December 2003 in Athens. The Congress and Summit brought together the leadership of the seven medium-sized MSAs (based on the 2000 U.S. Census Bureau data) in Georgia and bordering areas: Albany, Athens, Augusta-Aiken, Chattanooga, Columbus-Phenix City, Macon, and Savannah. In the summer of 2003, the U.S. Census Bureau designated seven new MSAs: Valdosta, Brunswick, Hinesville-Ft. Stewart, Dalton, Gainesville, Rome, and Warner-Robins. The newly designated MSAs had the opportunity to become part of The Forum during FY 2005. The long-term goal of the Fanning Institute is for The Forum to evolve into the national home for the study and understanding of medium metropolitan regions.
The Forum is governed by a coordinating council consisting of a city and county manager/administrator and the regional council executive director(s) from each participating MSA, as well as the director of the Fanning Institute. Additionally, the executive director or designee of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia and the executive director or designee of the Georgia Municipal Association also serve on the coordinating council. Each MSA’s managers, administrators, and regional council executives serve as its advisory committee to the council. The Forum is staffed by the Fanning Institute.
Contact Danny Bivins for additional information.