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Economics

Increased mobility makes it very easy to cross local jurisdiction lines, and so people may live in one city, work in another and shop in a third

As a result, labor markets are regional, housing markets are regional, and consequently industries are regional.

The metropolitan region is the unit of world economics, even though very few metropolitan regions work through a single government.

Los Angeles, for example, is a vast region in Southern California and yet, the cities of Beverly Hills and Hollywood are distinct governmental entities. Although the outside world may think of the smaller cities as part of Los Angeles, and even though the workers in Beverly Hills are likely to live in Los Angeles, it is not unusual for cities like Beverly Hills to themselves at odds with the interests of the city of Los Angeles.

This kind of interfamilial conflict occurs throughout the world as the constituent cities, towns and suburbs of a metropolitan region compete for resources.

In order to create a competitive regional economy, regions should work together to protect the environment, build transportation, and create industry.

Silicon Valley, for example, was created because Fred Terman, an Engineering Professor at Stanford University in the 1930s, realized that academic and business communities should work together for the benefits of both. He was able to bring research support to the university, and encouraged students and faculty to start their own companies (i.e. Hewlett-Packard). Silicon Valley now includes cities such as Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Redwood City and San Carlos, and is growing everyday.

Growing industries create demand for regional transportation.

Natural resources are limited and therefore sharing is inevitable, but working together to preserve these resources is crucial