The Relevance of Regionalism in Washington, DC

The Washington, DC Metropolitan region is representative of a larger trend in regions across the country: an increase in economic segregation and inequality that negatively affects both the rich and poor. Regionalist scholars propose that taking a region-wide policy approach in areas such as taxation, transportation, and housing can buttress place-based initiatives to create a more sustainable solution. This paper describes current inequality dynamics in the DC Metropolitan region, discusses current approaches to poverty reduction, and then recommends Regionalist policies as viable alternatives. Regionalist policies and successes provide relevant lessons for the DC Metropolitan region in particular as ways to alleviate the problems of inequality.