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GOOD Ideas for Cities: Building Regional Cooperation

How to get metropolitan regions to work better together?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMpdAvu26-o&

The St. Louis metropolitan area comprises two states, several counties, and dozens of independent cities within the region. How to get all those various entities, from government agencies to social services, to work together more effectively? As part of GOOD Ideas for Cities St. Louis, Live the Lou proposed to tackle fragmentation through a campaign to get local officials to cooperate with each other. "Better Together" encourages local officials to pledge to coordinate information and share practices with their counterparts across the region, saving time and money across the area.


Challenge: Government fragmentation, or the lack of regionalism, is a hindrance to building a prosperous St. Louis region. The lack of regional cooperation impedes progress of both public services and social services. How do we break down the real and perceived barriers that continually inhibit regional institutions, local governments and both states in the metropolitan St. Louis region from working together?

Maggie Hales, East-West Gateway Council of Governments
Tom Etling, St. Patrick Center

Live the Lou: Stacey Wehe, Juard van Dijkhorst, Amanda Clark, Court Sloger, Mike Glodek, Laura Schmaltz, Nate Paul, Whitney Sewell, Ed Reggi

To learn more about this idea, contact Juard Van Dijkhorst at faultygoblin[at]gmail[dot]com or follow the conversation at #BTSTL

Video by CAM and Nine Network

Watch more videos of recent GOOD Ideas for Cities events. If you'd like to talk about bringing the program to your city or school, email alissa[at]goodinc[dot]com or follow us at @IdeasforCities

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