10.1177/1078087404268077 URBAN AFFAIRS REVIEW / November 2004Hamilton et al. / GOVERNING METROPOLITAN REGIONS EXPLORING THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL DIMENSIONS OF THE GOVERNING OF METROPOLITAN REGIONS

A metropolitan region does not have formal institutional structures such as nations, states, and cities, but it is a system that can be conceptualized and studied as a whole. The study of metropol-itan areas too often ignores the dynamic relationships at the intersection of state and local govern-ments. This study suggests a two-dimensional typology of governance in metropolitan regions. The authors found that governance affects the long-term competitiveness of the metropolitan economy. Governance does not determine economic outcomes but reduces the ability to adapt. The worst combination for metropolitan competitiveness is decentralization within regions where there is a centralized state government