McClintock said polls show 70 percent of the public wants action by legislators to limit sprawl. They didn't get it and won't put up with lobbyists from developers blocking them. Taking the initiative Local governments realize they need to act together or others will try to take the growth and planning agenda out of their hands, Mamet said. With more cooperation, a lot can be done. But it has largely focused on transportation, using gridlock on the roads as a tentative launching pad into planning.
Revenue sharing remains a key stumbling block in any regionalism.
Communities may cooperate on a variety of issues, but they draw the line when it comes to their pocketbooks. Webb did not address revenue sharing in his speech, but he said working together on smaller issues could create the trust needed to tackle the harder ones. Webb points to the redevelopment of the old Lowry Air Force base on Denver's eastern edge. Denver controlled 87 percent of the land and Aurora the other 13 percent. In theory, Denver had the right to 87 percent of the voting power on the redevelopment authority.