Regional Planning in America

Contributors to this volume suggest that planners in the twenty-first century will need to understand local issues in a regional and global context. They must be adept at defining planning regions based on functional planning problems; capable of reaching across boundaries to assess, identify, and act on common cause; and able to navigate the currents of power to create the lasting relationships and institutions needed to implement plans. Regional planning practices can address challenges urban and rural communities face achieving sustainability through green regionalism.

The editors call for a “region ethic” that will advance the sustainability of the regions on which our existence will depend. The region ethic is a call to recognize the central interdependencies that make our inhabitation of cities and landscapes possible. This book seeks to assist a new generation of practitioners in understanding the roots, underpinnings, and applications of regional planning in America today, and the prospects for its practice in the future.