Planetizen’s Nate Berg brings us an interesting report from America 2050‘s recent LA conference. The group is trying to develop a nationwide infrastructure strategy. In order to handle the U.S.’s mega problems, it’s divided the country into 11 “megaregions,” to “encourage regional thinking and cooperation on issues like transportation, energy, and water.” Around here those regions include Southern California, Northern California, Cascadia (metro areas in Oregon and Washington), and the Arizona Sun Corridor (Phoenix, Tucson, Scottsdale, etc). The idea is that our problems are too large and too geographically dispersed to be handled by individual states alone (and too specific to be handled federally). Like our worldwide economic situation, issues need to be coordinated on a larger scale. Hmm. regional planning in a sprawling region where problems are far too large and interconnected to be handled by local authorities alone? Why didn’t we think of that?