| The majority of the sub-state geographic regions delineated in the late 60’s have staffed Regional Councils (RC) that include local elected officials. RCs have been the framework for regional conversation and collaboration for over 30 years. RCs don’t eliminate boundaries, but they do provide the basis for regionally intelligent conversation and coordinated action across boundaries in a regional community when necessary. RCs don’t have equipment and manpower, but are communications networks that could be the basis for new communication networks that need to manage and respond to modern threats. Networking region to region is a strategy that would provide the greater depth needed in this multi-threat environment.
The “county” was the primary region for analysis from the inception of the United States. Counties contained both incorporated and unincorporated areas. As metropolitan areas emerged, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) were developed in the 20th century to aggregate regional data based on central cities and their regional labor pool draw. MSA boundaries expand based on economic factors from decade to decade. MSAs cover 80% of the population, but only about 20% of the land area. Conversely, non-metro jurisdictions cover 80% of the U.S. land area and 20% of the population. This is why metropolitan regions don’t give complete coverage for Homeland Security and networking of layers of regional coordination is needed to meet the threats. Rural non-metro regions are statistical orphans and invisible as a consequence.
Being part of an MSA does not change a rural county’s capabilities. In 1992, Clarke and Warren counties in my region, the Shenandoah Valley, became part of the Washington, D.C. MSA based on 1990 commuting patterns. They have not been incorporated in the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (Wash COG) as members. Existing MSAs can encompass several sub-state regional councils. A multi-state RC like Wash COG provides coordination at a higher level in parts of the MSA. Large localities simultaneously are part of and participate in a number of regional community alignments. This is not duplication, but a reflection of complexity.
The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) and the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) represent many of these organizations in Washington; D.C. NARC is primarily metro regions and NADO rural regions. NARC publishes a directory of regions by state. It is not in a database format, but could be easily converted to a database. Both organizations and their members have responded to the need for homeland security.
The network of RCs has to be data-coded to be complied. State gaps would have to be identified and dealt with. Once mapped, these geographies can be tapped. Secondary region codes should be developed which would generate tables based on the spatial relationships of local governments, North to South/East to West, rather than the alphabet. Tables produced based on alphabetic listings do not allow easy data comparisons of adjoining jurisdictions. This is somewhat reduced when GIS mapping displays data, but the number of variables that can be mapped at any one time are limited. This level would add great value to these datasets.
RCs are emerging government service regional communities with strategic intelligence. There are other regional alignments to which each locality belongs. That’s why there is no single perfect map of regions. Community precedes cooperation. When a group of neighboring jurisdictions recognizes their community as a region, they can cooperate in response to any opportunity or threat.
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