Part One, Understanding regionalism. The New York region : 2,179 governments -- The values of regionalism -- Part Two, Regionalism and the New York City experience. One grand and glorious city -- Creating real local government in New York City -- The limits of metropolitanism. Part Three, Functional regionalism. Across state lines : the Port Authority -- Single-state agencies : the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New Jersey Transit -- Part Four, The regional idea in subregional settings. The persistence of suburban localism -- Two approaches : bottom up and top down -- Part Five, The nation in the regional arena. The case of solid waste -- Part Six, Conclusion. Lessons for the future.