Thinking globally, acting regionally

Concerns regional planning in the US, which has generally been resisted by the public but which has been introduced through other environmental initiatives. The author traces its historical development from the first piece of national legislation in 1924 to the Reagan and Bush administrations, and discusses some of the successes in land use planning. Challenges that still need to be tackled are outlined, including: rapid suburban growth, "locally unwanted land uses', and the spread of rural poverty. Specific examples are used to illustrate the fact that regional planning can result in both environmental and economic benefits for the general population. -C.Lloyd