Regional Planning Commissions

Hearing bodies that deal with the efficient placement of land use activities, infrastructure and settlement growth across a significantly larger area of land than an individual city or town. They address region-wide environmental, social, and economic issues that may require a regional focus. They may, for example, resist development in flood plains or along earthquake faults favoring utilization as parks or unimproved farmland; designate transportation corridors using hubs and spokes; consider major new transportation infrastructure; designate essential nuisance land use locations such as waste disposal sites; designate green belt land; or set regional policy and zoning which encourages a mix of housing values and communities.