ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the operationalization concept of regional collaboration. The main variables included in the analysis are then described, followed by a detailed description of the main research questions and hypotheses. The chapter describes the general methodological approach and the specific research design used in this study, as well as the choice of case studies. It talks about three main types of regional collaboration namely; bottom-up regional collaboration, state-mandated regional collaboration, and functional regional collaboration. Past collaboration between local officials, civic leaders, and other regional actors facilitates future collaboration efforts involving the same individuals and/or groups, it is reasonable to expect that inter-municipal collaboration efforts in any given area will increase the overall level of cooperation in the region. The Bay Area and the Greater Montreal area differ widely on one of the main explanatory variables of interest, namely bottom-up regional collaboration.
