Abstract

Advocates have long claimed that a regional land use planning approach achieves gains in equity, efficiency, and environmental protection, but few studies have empirically tested these claims. This case studies a regional planning process in a weak mandate state, it is found that the regional plan would have produced better land use outcomes, but its impact was severely limited by political conflicts at the county level, a recession that necessitated cuts to non-mandated services, and a lack of state leadership around regional planning. Ultimately, all these factors contributed to the eventual disbandment of the entire regional planning structure in the area.