There are many types and forms of regional government agencies. These include regional planning commissions, council of governments, regional advisory committees, regional allocation agencies, and special purpose regional agencies. Even so innovative approaches to regional government and cooperation among general-purpose local governments are relatively recent phenomena.

The first section of this volume provides the reader with a comprehensive introduction and overview to the field of regional government in general, and of recent regional government innovations throughout the nation in particular. The second section provides 25 case studies that examine outstanding examples of public and nonprofit initiatives and programs that promote regional government throughout America. The final section studies current trends in regional governance, the evolving role of regional councils, and the regional challenges posed by increased global competition. A directory of regional and national resource organizations dealing with regional government as well as a comprehensive annotated bibliography are included at the end of this volume.