Transcript Regions Work! What’s a region?

Community Motive:
The Untapped Identity Factor for
Regional Development
Tom Christoffel, FeRSA, AICP
Regional Intelligence – Regional Communities, LLC
The Regions Work Initiative © 1998-2012
Regional Studies Association Global Conference 2012
Beijing, China
June 25, 2012
Local-Regional Scale – RSA - 2008 - Prague
From the
citizen taxpayer
viewpoint at
the local level,
the nested cups
are inverted.
Thought: “Local is whole. All politics are local.
When a regional geography is whole, it becomes
local, the local region”
If this is
“Local”
Then this is
“Regional”
Region
Region
Scale
unincorporated area, township &
municipal corporations→
e.g. Towns of Middletown and
Stephens City, City of Winchester
County - e.g. – Frederick County, Virginia
County
1.0
County →
Defined multi-county/independent city regional council (s);
e.g. – Planning District 7 – served by Northern Shenandoah
Valley Regional Commission; Winchester Airport Authority
Regional Council
2.0
Regional
Council →
Region to region cooperation – e.g. I-81 Corridor;
Shenandoah Valley water and air; Mid-Atlantic Roundtable;
crossing State lines or inclusive of an entire State - e.g. –
Virginia Association of PDCs; San Diego-Tijuana Border
Region;
Regional Council(s)
+/- Counties up to
State or beyond
3.0
State→
Multi-State – e.g. – ICPRB Compact, Quad State Legislators
MD-PA-VA-WV; Chesapeake Bay; Appalachian Regional
Commission, Delta Regional Authority; Cascadia, Atlantica;
Multi-State
up to Nation or
beyond
4.0
Multi-State →
Nation - e.g. – United States
Nation
5.0
Nation→
Multi-national continental/oceanic – e.g. The Americas, North,
Central and South - e.g. – NAFTA – Canada, Mexico, U.S.; ...
Multi-national
6.0
Multi-national →
Planet/globe/world – e.g. – United Nations, WTO, ...
Planet
7.0
Planet→
Solar system – galaxy – universe – e.g. – a Galactic
Federation ?
Solar System
8.0
Development Challenges - 2012
 After-effects of the Financial Crisis of 2008 and the
Great Recession which has followed, Peak Oil, climate
change, natural disasters, …
 When talking to people about bleak future scenarios,
I say, “The only thing that will save us is community.”
 No one yet has disagreed. Community is what will get
us through, but what is it about “community” that
saves us in problematic situations? Isn’t it the “profit
motive” that delivers all needed solutions?
“Think Local Planet, Act Regionally."
“Profit Motive”
 In this age, the “profit motive” is both the goal and driver for all
economic activity. Huge problems are simply those things that
attract economic attention by business and industry. At least, that
is what the economists tell us.
 When it comes to regional development, primarily efforts to raise
incomes and the standard of living for an area’s inhabitants, the
first goal is to be “business friendly.”
 In a multi-jurisdictional sub-national region, local governments
are advised to collaborate and cooperate to build the needed
business-oriented environment. This is regardless of the size or
type of region.
"Think Local Planet, Act Regionally."
Community Political Geography
and Community Motive
As localities respond to the “profit motive” of business, what is
their motive? Is it just tax-base improvement or better wages for
citizens?
I say it is: “Community Motive” of established, historic
communities which seek to perpetuate their communities.
The government structures in place - Nations, States, Counties,
Municipalities - were all highly intentional creations by citizens of the day
in accordance with the laws of the time and are bounded regions.
Today, after hundreds of years, they continue as intentional
communities . Their political boundaries are integral to IDENTITY.
Identity is not simply a BRAND, but we know branding is part of the
regional development game.
Many efforts ask officials to “put on their regional hat.” Can there really
be a regional hat? Let’s look at the existing identities.
"Think Local Planet, Act Regionally."
Political Identity Regional (hats) for
a Front Royal, Virginia, U.S.A. Voter
Local Planet-Whole Earth Region
--United States of America
President and Vice President
Commonwealth of Virginia
State-wide – Two U.S. Senators
U.S. District 6 House Representative
---
Governor
Virginia Senate – District 26
Virginia House of Delegates – District 29
County of Warren
Constitutional Officers – Clerk, Sheriff,
Commissioner of Revenue, Treasurer
North River District - Supervisor (5 total)
Town of Front Royal
Mayor and Town Council
These Identities
Have a direct:
 1. Vote
 2. Taxes
 3. Services
And result in community
security for me, my family,
guests. They are all neatly
stored and “at the ready to
be displayed.”
What about multijurisdictional regions?
My region – Northern Shenandoah Valley
Regional Commission
 Virginia history of
planning for regional
development





State Planning Board - 1933
Regional Planning
Commissions legislation 1944
Virginia Area Development
Act – 1968
Regional Partnerships – 1995
Today: Some regional
marketing regional; industry
deals local County/City –
with State/Local incentives.
Regional Identity
Have an indirect:
 1. Vote - appointees
 2. Taxes – pay
assessment
 3. Services – indirect or
direct.
This results in
contributions to my
community in the
regional community.
Structure?
"Act Regionally."
New Regions are Data Shadows – New Geography
MSA/CMSA Data Shadows – No umbrella
Many 40 – 50 years old
Mega-regions Data Shadows – No Umbrella
County/Multi Co. Regional Councils/COGs – Umbrella
The region is always a “New
Geography”
 Though covering multiple jurisdictions, the region will be
at odds with the existing political boundaries.
 Putting on the REGIONAL HAT is loss of identity. The
region could mean consolidation.
 Yet there has long been a need for communities to become
regional/GREATER in order to respond to the challenges of
the world.
 This need is also a “community motive,” but strategy and
time is required. No instant community.
 Umbrellas work with hats.
“Think Local Planet, Act Regionally."
Humanity Greatest
Hat
Identity?
“Think Local Planet, Act Regionally.”
“Acknowledge boundaries. Work across
them. Think Local Planet, Act Regionally.”
Contact: Tom Christoffel, FeRSA, AICP, Editor
Regional/Greater Community Development News
Regional Intelligence – Regional Communities, LLC
Box 1444 - Front Royal, Virginia (VA), USA 22630
E-mail: [email protected]
Land line: 1- 540-635-8582
Cell: 1 -540-664-7037
Blog: http://ri-rc.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tomchristoffel
The “Regions Work” Initiative © 1998
"Think Local Planet, Act Regionally."