Conflict and Co-operation among Local Governments in the Metropolis

A metropolitan area is made up characteristically of numerous local units of government. All of these units form an interrelating system. Most of them draw heavily from the same tax base. Each city's street pattern affects regional traffic flows; each set of zoning regulations influences the total metropolitan land-use pattern; a major disaster hurts several communities. The American states, until recently, have not given much attention to interlocal relations. Their legal frameworks, different from that in England and Canada, induce local officials to think that their governments can act in isolation from the surrounding communities. Recent popu lation and economic growth has increased the number of met ropolitan local governments. This growth has increased the potential for intergovernmental conflict. Some of the con flict has been resolved by short-term accommodations. Nu merous experiments with new means for resolving the con flicts are being tested. Some methods are informal; others are formal in nature. Professional administrators and as sociations of elective local officials are doing much of the ex perimenting. Much of it involves exchange of information and negotiation of demands. Continuing conferences of local officials try to develop new means for regional policy-making. Federal grant-in-aid policy is also encouraging interlocal co operation.