Mr. Bean, former Executive Director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, shared insights from his decade of experience leading one of the United States’ most successful regional governance bodies. He explained that his involvement with the Forum of Agglomerations of Ukraine stems from his desire to help the country develop effective metropolitan governance systems. His previous experience in both American and European regional networks, including METREX, inspired him to volunteer in Lviv, where he saw parallels between the early stages of the Lviv Agglomeration and the modest beginnings of his own organization, which grew from just three employees to 120 through trust, cooperation, and time.
Drawing from U.S. metropolitan planning, Bean emphasized that the system’s success lies in a combination of trust-building and supportive legislation. The United States now has around 400 metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), each established by federal laws that set standards and incentives for collaboration. In his region, cooperation among the mayor of Washington, D.C., and county executives from neighboring states was crucial in addressing regional issues such as transportation, water and air quality, and public safety. The council served as a central hub, coordinating about 75 technical committees composed of police chiefs, planners, and infrastructure experts, fostering both voluntary and mandated collaboration.
He explained that U.S. federal legislation drives cooperation through clear incentives. For instance, cities can only access federal transportation funding if their projects are included in a regional plan. Each MPO must prepare a 20-year transportation plan and update it regularly, ensuring that decisions are evidence-based and collectively agreed upon. This system encourages data-driven policymaking and ensures that infrastructure priorities reflect regional consensus rather than isolated local agendas.
Water management, according to Bean, provides one of the best examples of successful regional cooperation. The severe pollution crises of the 1960s prompted the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Clean Water Act, which required cities to plan by watershed rather than administrative boundaries. This reform led to shared infrastructure projects, such as the advanced wastewater treatment plant serving multiple jurisdictions in the Washington area. Bean’s organization facilitated the governance framework for this collaboration, helping to establish a 100-year agreement that continues to regulate cost-sharing, decision-making, and dispute resolution among participating counties.
For Ukrainian cities developing their own agglomerations, Bean stressed that trust is essential but must be supported by clear rules, strong incentives, and reliable data. Areas such as water, waste, and transportation management offer natural opportunities for joint projects, which could attract donor and investor interest in Ukraine’s postwar recovery. Coordinated regional initiatives, he noted, are far more appealing to funders than fragmented local projects.
Bean also encouraged Ukrainian leaders to connect with international networks such as METREX, the European metropolitan regions network, which has seen remarkable progress in recent decades. He highlighted the potential value of partnerships and knowledge exchanges between Ukrainian, European, and American agglomerations, supported by organizations like the Council of Europe and its Centre of Expertise for Good Governance.
In his closing message, Bean reminded Ukrainian officials that successful metropolitan systems start small but thrive through long-term commitment and collaboration. He urged them not to reinvent the wheel but to adapt proven international models, build trust among local partners, and create lasting institutional structures capable of guiding regional growth for generations.
