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Strategies for Megaregion Governance

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  • Judith Innes
  • David Booher
  • Sarah Di Vittorio

Abstract

Problem: Metropolitan areas in the United States are increasingly growing together into megaregions with many linkages and interdependencies in their economies, infrastructure, and natural resources, but they are not linked well in terms of governance. Hundreds of jurisdictions, federal and state sectoral agencies, and regulatory bodies make independent and conflicting decisions with no entity focusing on the region's overall welfare. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to investigate potential governance strategies for such megaregions. Collaborative and networked processes can do many of the needed tasks for regional governance, as they fill gaps where government fails to operate, cross jurisdictional and functional boundaries, engage public and private sector actors on common tasks, and focus on the collective welfare of a region. Our goal is to identify strategies that allow such processes to have some success in planning and managing resources, adapting to unique conditions, and mobilizing key players in joint action. Methods: We rely on our in-depth research in California on two major water planning cases, CALFED and the Sacramento Water Forum, and on two cases of regional civic voluntary organizations known as collaborative regional initiatives. We use two interrelated analytical perspectives, complexity theory and network analysis, to develop our findings. Results and conclusions: These successful cases shared the following features: diverse, interdependent players; collaborative dialogue; joint knowledge development; creation of networks and social and political capital; and boundary spanning. They were largely self-organizing, building capacity and altering norms and practices to focus on questions beyond the parochial interests of players. They created new and often long- term working relationships and a collective ability to respond constructively to changes and stresses on the system. Takeaway for practice: Planners’ roles in megaregion governance include designing processes; creating, supporting, and managing networks; creating arenas for strategy formation; and nourishing strategic understanding and a vigorous public realm. Some can be visionaries, others advocates, providers of technical assistance, or skilled facilitators. The biggest challenge will be to design institutional settings where planners can do these tasks. Research support: This work was supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the University of California Water Resources Center.

Suggested Citation

  • Judith Innes & David Booher & Sarah Di Vittorio, 2011. "Strategies for Megaregion Governance," Journal of the American Planning Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 77(1), pages 55-67.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:rjpaxx:v:77:y:2011:i:1:p:55-67
    DOI: 10.1080/01944363.2011.533640
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    Cited by:

    1. Uroš Radosavljević & Aleksandra Đorđević & Kseniјa Lalović & Jelena Živković & Zoran Đukanović, 2019. "Nodes and Networks: The Generative Role of Cultural Heritage for Urban Revival in Kikinda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-20, April.
    2. Peter TY Cheung, 2015. "Toward collaborative governance between Hong Kong and Mainland China," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 52(10), pages 1915-1933, August.
    3. Griffin, Greg Phillip & Jiao, Junfeng, 2019. "The Geography and Equity of Crowdsourced Public Participation for Active Transportation Planning," SocArXiv 9ghrn, Center for Open Science.
    4. Bhattarai, Kiran Kumari & Pant, Laxmi Prasad & FitzGibbon, John, 2020. "Contested governance of drinking water provisioning services in Nepal’s transboundary river basins," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    5. Soyoung Kim & Woo-Je Kim & Richard Clark Feiock, 2021. "An Item Response Theory Model of Inter-Regional Collaboration for Transportation Planning in the United States," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-15, September.
    6. Terry van Dijk & Hiska Ubels, 2016. "How Dutch professionals conduct interactive design sessions to foster ‘shared understanding’," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 43(3), pages 464-479, May.
    7. Dmitry Sorokin & Vladimir Sharafutdinov & Elena Onishchenko, 2017. "On the Problems of Strategic Development of Tourism in the Regions of Russia (Case of the Krasnodar Region and the Resort City of Sochi)," Economy of region, Centre for Economic Security, Institute of Economics of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, vol. 1(3), pages 764-776.
    8. Sciara , Gian-Claudia & Handy, Susan, 2013. "Cultivating Cooperation without Control: A Study of California’s MPO-Driven Smart Growth Programs," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt1xq050ts, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    9. Judith Westerink & Annet Kempenaar & Marjo van Lierop & Stefan Groot & Arnold van der Valk & Adri van den Brink, 2017. "The participating government: Shifting boundaries in collaborative spatial planning of urban regions," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 35(1), pages 147-168, February.

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