區域治理（regional governance）是歐美各國近二十年來政治學、行政管理實務與 空間規劃界日益關注的研究議題。全球城市、大都會區，到目前所謂「城市-區域」的 出現，均反映這種全球和地方層次的政治變化。美國都會治理已經走向新區域主義途 徑，透過政策行動者的網絡合作，達到區域治理的目標。英國的區域治理與區域經濟 發展和競爭力息息相關，不管是中央主導型或地方主導型區域治理模式，均朝向一種 公、私、非營利組織及其它公共服務機構的協力夥伴之方式。而歐盟似乎在尋求一個 「中觀層次」（meso-level）的治理機制，藉由「跨境合作」（Cross-border cooperation） 方式，拉近各會員國在歐洲統合過程中政治與經濟利益之間的距離。上述區域政府體 系或跨域治理的制度安排，其共同的特色是全球在地化的浮現，更強調居民的政治授 權，更緊密的社區角色，以及更多元且彈性的協調。 本研究擬定二年期研究計畫，第一年探討英、美、歐盟及台灣四個案之區域治理 概念、制度與發展；第二年著重在機制運作，尤其是跨區域合作的評析。藉由文獻分 析、比較方法，瞭解和掌握英國、美國及歐盟區域治理變遷的趨勢，期能成為制度研 究或設計時的參考，亦可當作解決我國跨域治理諸多問題的參照。 “Regional governance” has become an increasing focusing issues during these two decades around the world among areas of politics, administration practices and spatial/space design. The emergence of Global City, Metropolitan or even “City-Region” has revealed some political evolution has happened either in global or local levels. In the US and UK cases, they have somehow adjusted their political rules, social institutions and spatial structure to cope with changes result from the global economic integration. It shows their governance mode have obviously turned into a structure of public/private partnership. Similarly, the EU seems to pursue a “meso-level” mechanism for harmonizing political and economic interests among member states in the integration process. Various modes of regional alliance (Euroregions) or arrangement (Cross-border cooperation) have not only enhanced the bond of affections among European people, it can also respond to the changing global economic environment more promptly and effectively than European or national level organizations. This proposal describes a multi-method, multi-year approach for exploring the spatial restructure and institutional alignments of contemporary regional governance. It uses both documentary analysis and comparative approach to find out the developments of regional governance in the US, UK, European Union and Taiwan. It may also give an example to governments while designing institutional arrangements to resolve problems resulting from cross boundaries governance.
