Searching for a Spatial Fix: Patterns of Inter-metropolitan Collaboration in Transportation Planning and Policy-making

Abstract

We analyze rationales for inter-metropolitan collaboration and barriers to systematic planning at larger spatial scales. To understand whether multiple planning challenges are generating meaningful forms of collaboration across metro areas, we detail findings from a survey of U.S. Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs). Our results suggest that inter-MPO joint planning activities are widespread and substantive in light of potential barriers to such collaborations. A majority of MPO leaders see inter-metro planning activities as an important priority and effective in the context of their overall mission. However, the survey results suggest that transportation planning at the megaregional scale is at a nascent stage.