Illustrating components of multi-county organization and emphasizing the rewards of area organization when carefully used as a tool to close the gaps between local, state, and Federal governments, this monograph presents the following five chapters: (1) "Key Factors in Area or Regional Boundry Delineation" (natural physical, biological, and human processes; spatial, social, political, and government organization; economic criteria); (2) "Federal, State, and Local Programs Emphasizing Regions" (dispensing the Federal dollar; coordination of planning/development programs; planning grants; rural areas; economic development areas/districts; resource conservation and development projects; community action programs; state-created or supported multi-county areas; councils of government; privately sponsored development organizations); (3) "Processes, Problems, and Requirements of Regional Organization and Planning"; (4) "Organization and Action Strategies" (degrees of citizen participation; identification with the new area; maximizing effective involvement; formal planning process; a planning process model; the action-planning concept; the role of professional staff as advocates; single-prupose and comprehensive planning; change strategies; resistance to change; living with conflict); (5) "Regional Multi-County Areas as a Tool for Planning and Development". (JC)