Emerging MegaRegion Efforts
Throughout the country large-scale regional efforts are underway to examine the relationships, challenges, and opportunities that unite people across jurisdictional boundaries. Following are brief descriptions of initiatives currently underway. This list is subject to change as other regions begin research and outreach efforts to understand their role in an evolving national framework for planning and public investment.
Northeast MegaRegion: ( Washington , D.C. to Boston , MA Corridor) In the Northeast, research and advocacy is being led by the Regional Plan Association (RPA) of New York and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in Cambridge , MA . RPA has obtained seed funding from private foundations to prepare a preliminary analysis on the business, transportation, and environmental connections of the Northeast mega-region. This spring, a graduate planning studio at the University of Pennsylvania will focus on the Northeast MegaRegion, building on research completed by students the previous year.
Piedmont Atlantic MegaRegion: (anchored by Atlanta , Georgia , stretching east to Raleigh , North Carolina , and west to Birmingham , Alabama ) Research is underway at Georgia Tech and the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development (CQGRD) to define the MegaRegion and to begin a multi-state dialogue on the issues facing the southeast. A graduated planning studio was taught at Georgia Tech in spring 2005, concurrent with the Northeast studio at the University of Pennsylvania , which produced a preliminary study. The study was informed by a planning charrette in Madrid , Spain , where European and American planning and policy practitioners worked with students on issues of equity, economic development, transportation, and the natural environment.
Southern California MegaRegion: (encompasses Los Angeles, Kern, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties in California, as well as the northern portion of Baja California, including Mexicali, Tijuana, and Ensenada) The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), and the Kern County Council of Governments have begun collaborating on a planned growth strategy for the region. They issued a public report in fall 2005. These associations of governments are also meeting with the Tijuana government to discuss common issues affecting the MegaRegion across national boundaries.
Cascadia Ecolopolis: (surrounds the metro regions of Seattle , Washington and Portland , Oregon , and stretches north to Vancouver , British Columbia in Canada ) Preliminary research by Portland State University has proposed strategies to strengthen ties between these cities using high speed rail. They identified their shared culture, software competencies, high tech and creative clusters in film and music, and commitment to green, sustainable building as avenues to build regional relationships.
Midwest MegaRegion: (centers on Chicago, stretching west to Minneapolis, south to St. Louis, and east to Buffalo, New York and Toronto, Canada) This fall, Midwestern geographers, planners, and regional leaders met in Chicago with national experts to discuss the definition of the Midwest MegaRegion. From that meeting, collaboration has emerged between the University of Michigan , Youngstown State University of Ohio, the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, and the Great Cities Institute in Chicago on a joint project to define the MegaRegion, share data methods, and identify strategies to strengthen the Midwest 's position in the national and global economy. The emerging collaboration will also build on the EPA-guided Great Lakes Regional Collaboration, which seeks to coordinate regional leaders and stakeholders to restore and protect the Great Lakes .
Southern Florida MegaRegion: (includes the southern portion of the Florida peninsula, including the metro regions of Orlando, Tampa , West Palm Beach , Fort Lauderdale , and Miami , and potential connections to neighboring island nations). The South Florida Regional Planning Council (SFRPC) and the Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions (CUES) at Florida Atlantic University are initiating discussions with other regional organizations in the mega-region. Potential partners include Urban Land Institute (ULI) district councils, regional business groups, regional planning councils, and university centers. Outreach efforts include contacting leaders in Puerto Rico , Bahamas , and Dominican Republic and other island nations with cultural and economic ties to South Florida . An initial meeting may take place as part of the planned ULI statewide conference on regional collaboration in early 2006.
SOURCE: Regional Plan Association, 4 Irving Place , 7th Floor, New York , NY 10003 ; t: 212.253.2727, f: 212.253.5666; www.rpa.org
