About this reference

The Regional Commissions Reference is an independent, plain-language guide to regional commissions and the wider family of bodies that plan and invest across regional geographies. It exists to make a genuinely confusing corner of public administration easier to understand for anyone who needs to.

Disclaimer. An independent educational resource about regional development and governance bodies. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any government agency or intergovernmental organisation.

What this site is

This is an educational reference, written and maintained independently. It explains what regional commissions are, profiles the U.S. federal commissions and authorities on the public record, describes the state and local bodies that share their vocabulary, and introduces the development concepts — place-based policy, regional economic development, rural infrastructure — that give the whole field its shape.

Everything here is written for a general reader: students, journalists, local-government professionals, and residents trying to work out who plans and funds what in their area. We aim for accuracy and neutrality rather than advocacy.

What this site is not

This site is not an official publication of any government, agency, commission, council, or intergovernmental organisation, and it does not speak for any of the bodies it describes. It is not affiliated with them, it is not endorsed by them, and it should not be read as a source of official guidance, legal advice, or current program information. For authoritative and up-to-date details — current funding, eligibility, contacts, or the exact text of a statute — always consult the relevant official source directly. Our resources page links to the primary sources we rely on.

Our editorial approach

Original writing. Every page is written from scratch in our own words. We summarise and explain public information; we do not reproduce third-party pages.
Primary sources. Factual claims about specific bodies are based on public records — statutes, the public code, and publicly available congressional research — and we link out so readers can check us.
Plain language. We try to explain jargon rather than hide behind it, and we keep a glossary for the terms that keep recurring.
Honest uncertainty. Where the facts are contested, changing, or genuinely unclear — funding that shifts year to year, bodies that are authorised but not yet operational — we say so rather than paper over it.

Corrections and contact

We would rather be accurate than quick. If you spot an error, an out-of-date figure, or something that reads as misleading, we want to hear about it. Corrections can be sent to editor@regionalcommissions.org, and we will review and update the relevant page.

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