Americans like the suburbs and want to live in them. But that has urban politicians and planners increasingly nervous, analysts report. The urbanites are trying to counter what they call "excessive suburbanization" by creating regional planning and taxing authorities -- all aimed at preserving inner-cities.

Analysts say it is a growing struggle about taxes and regulations, and about where state and federal money will flow.

• In the nation's 39 largest metropolitan areas, population grew 22 percent between 1970 and 1990 -- with the vast majority of the growth occurring in the suburbs.

• In fact, core-city populations fell in 18 of the top 39 metro areas, and they barely grew in most of the rest.

• Some 75 percent of so-called extreme poverty neighborhoods -- those in which 40 percent of households live below the poverty line -- are located in central cities, compared to 6 percent located in suburbia.

• When the definition is relaxed to simply "underclass neighborhoods" -- those with above average rates of male unemployment, and households getting public assistance or headed by women and high-school dropouts -- the figures are 91 percent located in central cities, with 4 percent in the suburbs.

In an effort to contain the flight to the suburbs, Maryland's governor recently pushed through a law that limits state infrastructure subsidies to existing municipalities. Some see such subsidies as fueling urban sprawl.

But many experts question whether such subsidies should exist at all, contending that funds should be directed by the market. Market-allocated resources would then flow to areas of greatest need and potential reward, as private water and sewer systems already do in some locations.

While some planners want to move low-income housing from cities to suburbs, a number of economists say that -- if subsidizing housing is the goal -- it is much better simply to give the poor housing vouchers and let them determine where they will live, rather than creating new ghettos.

As for creating jobs in inner cities, experts cite the fact that licensing and zoning laws are often a barrier to business creation and ought to be removed -- as is being done in some cities such as Philadelphia.

Critics say that regional governing bodies are just a way to redistribute resources from relatively well-off suburbs to ailing central cities. They argue that cutting taxes, red tape and crime may be the best way to stop urban sprawl and revitalize inner-cities.

Source: Charles Oliver, "Are America's Suburbs Paradise, Or Are They Killing Our Cities?" Investor's Business Daily, July 9, 1997.