Examining the efficiency and equity of solid waste service production at the city level

Across the United States city-level service delivery methods can vary greatly---from fragmented and overlapping to consolidated service arrangements. "New Urbanism" literature often argues that the consolidated models are most efficient and most equitable. "Local Public Economy" literature often favors polycentric arrangements noting that fragmented and overlapping governmental jurisdictions can instill competition and leading to more efficient programs. This dissertation explores the fragmentation and overlap discussion by researching the city-level production of solid waste (trash) collection services and asks the question: How does the organization of solid waste collection at the city level relate to: (1) fiscal efficiency, (2) environmental efficiency, and (3) equity of service production? The city-level organization of solid waste collection services are analyzed by comparing three service production arrangements: monocentric (consolidated and no overlap), franchise zones (fragmentation yet no overlap), and polycentric (fragmented and overlapping). This dissertation combined in-depth case study research completed on eight cities with a large N regression data analyses of survey data from 102 United States cities with populations greater than 50,000. The analyses found a demarcation between cities utilizing the polycentric service production model and cities utilizing the franchise zone and the monocentric service production models. Among the cities surveyed and measured on a per household basis, the franchise zone and the monocentric cities performed at statistically significant levels of higher efficiency (both in terms of fiscal efficiency and environmental efficiency) than the polycentric cities. The findings in relation to equity also indicated superior service production by the franchise zone and monocentric service production models for two of equity's three measures. In terms of level of service, all three service production models performed largely equally and thus equitably. In terms of breadth of service and in terms of cost of service, the franchise zone and the monocentric cities outperformed the polycentric cities surveyed and were more equitable in their service delivery than the polycentric cities.