Regional Governance Reconsidered

The global economy’s regional scale of operation, social equity concerns, and environmental degradation that transcends local governmental boundary lines propel an examination of whether twenty-first century conditions call for the creation of regional governmental structures in the United States. This article argues that the need to spur economic competitiveness and metropolitan-wide planning and growth management will impel the formation of new regional governance structures. Forging stronger connections between central cities and surrounding suburban strongholds, however, will not be easy. The article discusses the many barriers that prevent fragmented local governments from reaping the benefits of regional cooperation, including localism, state political structures, local land use controls, and decision-making based on local jurisdictional units. The article evaluates the factors that can fuel regionalism and predicts that the road to regionalism will emerge gradually. It points out that the single-purpose authority is now outdated and will be replaced by the devolution of more power to multi-purpose regional authorities, which will provide a stronger foundation for reliance upon regional-scaled institutions. The article comprehensively analyzes existing regional structures from which new forms of regionalism will arise