ABSTRACT
Regional Intergovernmental Organizations (RIGOs) exist in complex jurisdictional environments and fulfil an extremely important governmental role that is necessary in today's mostly urbanized world. This chapter focuses on the different positions, functions and ties that RIGOs have relative to other Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) in their regions. Both RIGOs and IGOs are important institutions and each plays different roles and contributes to the governing of its respective region. It zeros in on the intra-organizational relationship between RIGOs and the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) that is nested in the RIGO. As such, we are focused on those RIGOs in Integrated Urban Regions. Nested, however, has a number of different meanings. How RIGOs and IGOs in Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Southern California developed systems to allow for regional and local interests is impressive. The same can be said for RIGOs and MPOs – their solutions are innovative and contextual.
