Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) is an independent, nonprofit association where area leaders address regional issues affecting the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle (Washington, D.C.), Logan Circle, Jefferson Memoria ...

, suburban Maryland and

Northern Virginia Northern Virginia, locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA, comprises several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is a widespread region radiating westward and southward from Washington, D.C. Wit ...

. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments comprises 24 local governments in the

Washington metropolitan area The Washington metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the National Capital Region, is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of the states of Maryland, Virgi ...

, as well as area members of the

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

state legislatures, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives. About 300 local, state and federal elected officials make up its membership. It was founded in 1957 and formally incorporated on May 28, 1965.

Vision, mission, and functions

"Region Forward" is Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments vision. It is a commitment by Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and its member governments, who together seek to create a more accessible, sustainable, prosperous, and livable metropolitan Washington."
''Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments''. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' mission is to make Region Forward happen by being a discussion forum, expert resource, issue advocate, and catalyst for action. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments works on issues of regional significance, including transportation, the environment, land use planning and housing, and public safety and health. Policies are set through the Board of Directors, the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), and the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee. These bodies are the organization's three main boards and they are responsible for a broad range of issues under Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' umbrella. Other key boards and policy committees at Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments include the Region Forward Coalition; the Climate, Energy, and Environment Policy Committee; the Chesapeake Bay and Water Resources Policy Committee; and the Human Services and Public Safety Policy Committee. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' top priority is advancing the "Region Forward" vision through the work of its board of directors, policy boards, committees, and the following programs.

Transportation

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments has provided leadership in supporting the development of key transportation facilities in the region, in particular the

Washington Metro The Washington Metro (or simply Metro), formally the Metrorail,Google Books search/preview

subway system and

Washington Dulles International Airport Washington Dulles International Airport , typically referred to as Dulles International Airport, Dulles Airport, Washington Dulles, or simply Dulles ( ), is an international airport in the Eastern United States, located in Loudoun County and F ...

. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' transportation planning program promotes a well-managed and maintained regional system with a broad range of transportation choices. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments supports National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, the federally designated

Metropolitan Planning Organization A metropolitan planning organization (MPO) is a federally mandated and federally funded transportation policy-making organization in the United States that is made up of representatives from local government and governmental transportation authoriti ...

for the metropolitan Washington area. National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board is responsible for ensuring state and federal approval of funding for transportation projects. National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board became associated with Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments in 1966.The Transportation Planning Board
. ''Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments''. Retrieved July 31, 2011. National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board's data informs officials on subjects like regional travel patterns and highway and transit performance. Recent projects include identifying regional transportation priorities and funding strategies, improving access for people with disabilities, and better coordinating transportation and land use decisions.

Environment

Clean water, clean air, clean land, and a smaller

carbon footprint A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, place or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Greenhouse gases, including the carbon-containing gases carbo ...

are priorities of Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' environmental programs. Through the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee, which is the entity certified by the

mayor of Washington, D.C. The mayor of the District of Columbia is the head of the executive branch of the government of the District of Columbia, in the United States. The mayor has the duty to enforce district laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed ...

and the governors of

and

to prepare an air-quality plan for the

Washington Metropolitan Area The Washington metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the National Capital Region, is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of the states of Maryland, Virgi ...

under Section 174 of the federal

Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 The Clean Air Act (CAA) is the United States' primary federal air quality law, intended to reduce and control air pollution nationwide. Initially enacted in 1963 and amended many times since, it is one of the United States' first and most infl ...

, officials prepare clean air plans. These plans have led to steady improvement in regional air quality. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments supports ongoing efforts to revitalize the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...

, the

Anacostia River The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Poin ...

, and other local waterways as well as

wastewater Wastewater is water generated after the use of freshwater, raw water, drinking water or saline water in a variety of deliberate applications or processes. Another definition of wastewater is "Used water from any combination of domestic, industrial ...

and storm-water planning, and water-supply protection. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments guides the regional effort to reduce

greenhouse-gas A greenhouse gas (GHG or GhG) is a gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor (), carbon dioxide (), methane ...

emissions by promoting

alternative energy sources Energy development is the field of activities focused on obtaining sources of energy from natural resources. These activities include production of renewable, nuclear, and fossil fuel derived sources of energy, and for the recovery and reuse ...

energy conservation Energy conservation is the effort to reduce wasteful energy consumption by using fewer energy services. This can be done by using energy more effectively (using less energy for continuous service) or changing one's behavior to use less service (f ...

, and

green building Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from planni ...

and fleet policies.

Planning and housing

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' Community Planning and Services program promotes a strong economy,

sustainable growth Sustainable development is an organizing principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The desi ...

, and housing options for all residents. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments offers strategies for more development in the region's mixed-use activity centers and provides the region with population, employment, and housing forecasts, and data on area industries and labor,

affordable housing Affordable housing is housing which is deemed affordable to those with a household income at or below the median as rated by the national government or a local government by a recognized housing affordability index. Most of the literature on af ...

, and

homelessness Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments regularly measures progress towards the goals of "Region Forward", a long-term sustainability-planning process initiated in 2008.About Region Forward
. ''Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments ''. Accessed February 17, 2013.

Public Safety & Health

Safe and healthy communities are the focus of Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments'

public safety Public security or public safety is the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety and security of the public from significant danger, injury, or property damage. It is often conducted by a state government to ensur ...

and health program. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments brings together area

officials An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority, (either their own or that of their s ...

, emergency planners, and

first responder A first responder is a person with specialized training who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance or incident resolution at the scene of an emergency, such as an accident, disaster, medical emergency, structure fire, crime, or ...

s to improve

homeland security Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" t ...

and

emergency preparedness Emergency management or disaster management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actuall ...

. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments provides regional crime reports and convenes conferences on topics such as preventing the spread of HIV/

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ma ...

gangs A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collectivel ...

, and

childhood obesity Childhood obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or well-being. As methods to determine body fat directly are difficult, the diagnosis of obesity is often based on BMI. Due to the rising prevalence o ...

Member Jurisdictions

Chairpersons

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control Government of the District of Columbia Local government in Virginia Local government in Maryland Metropolitan planning organizations Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.