Regionalism on Purpose

In the past decade, interest in and experience with U.S. metropolitan regionalism have mushroomed as public officials, civic leaders, and metropolitan residents seek to address complicated regional problems, including urban sprawl and inequities in housing, education, and tax capacity. However, the task of brokering tradeoffs and crafting a regional vision and agenda, and delivering regional services efficiently and equitably—all in the absence of a metropolitan polity—challenges most metropolitan leaders. Case studies of Louisville, Silicon Valley, Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Cape Cod, and Chicago illuminate the challenges as these communities pursue regionalism for political, economic, growth-based, equity, environmental, and multiple purposes, respectively.