This document proposes a scale for defining different levels of regions from local to global. It suggests that a county would be considered a level 1 regional scale, while an organization like a regional planning commission serving multiple counties would be a level 2 region. Higher levels include multi-state regions at level 4, nations at level 5, and the largest scale as level 7 which would include entities like the United Nations or World Trade Organization spanning the entire planet. The scale is meant to provide a standardized way to classify the size and scope of different political and geographical regions.

1. Local→ Regional Community and Political Geography: A Proposed Scale for Regions
From the bottom up in Virginia’s Northern Shenandoah Valley
If this is Then this is Region Region
“Local” “Regional” Scale
unincorporated area,
township & municipal County - e.g. – Frederick County, Virginia County 1.0
corporations→
e.g. Towns of Middletown and
Stephens City, City of
Winchester
Defined multi-county/independent city
regional council (s); e.g. – Planning District 7 – Regional Council 2.0
County → served by Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional
Commission; Winchester Airport Authority
Region to region cooperation – e.g. I-81 Corridor;
Regional Shenandoah Valley water and air; Mid-Atlantic Regional 3.0
Council → Roundtable; crossing State lines or inclusive of an Council(s) +/-
entire State - e.g. – Virginia Association of PDCs; Counties up to
San Diego-Tijuana Border Region; State or beyond
Multi-State – e.g. – ICPRB Compact, Quad State
State→ Legislators MD-PA-VA-WV; Chesapeake Bay; Multi-State 4.0
Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Regional up to Nation or
Authority; Cascadia, Atlantica; beyond
5.0
Multi-State → Nation - e.g. – United States Nation
Multi-national continental/oceanic – e.g. The 6.0
Nation→ Americas, North, Central and South - e.g. – NAFTA Multi-national
– Canada, Mexico, U.S.; ...
Planet/globe/world – e.g. – United Nations, WTO, 7.0
Multi-national → ... Planet
Solar system – galaxy – universe – e.g. – a 8.0
Planet→ Galactic Federation ? Solar System
Blue – Government Boundaries of Political Consequence
Green – Multi-governmental regions - Boundaries of Convenience
Local is whole. All politics are local. When a regional geography is whole, it becomes local.
Relationships are like that of nested cups but for the citizen, it
operates inverted with the 1.0 Region at the base.
From diagram April 12, 2002 © - Tom Christoffel, Regional Intelligence-Regional Communities
Edited: 3/4/03; 3/5/03;11/3/04; 11/22/06; 9/25/07; 11/3/07; 3/5/08; 5/24/08;6/29/08