
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 1, 1993                   TAG: 9306010212
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: F-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

ILL-DEFINED?

ALAS, the region lacks a name. Roanoke Valley is too small a term - Western Virginia too large - to describe the area that shares an increasingly common economy, of which Roanoke is the hub.

And the name problem reflects a deeper lack of definition.

Is our region the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley or the northern part of Southwest Virginia? It could be either. But both these largely rural stretches seem distinct from the Roanoke metropolitan region. Let's move on.

The federally designated Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area? Fine, for many purposes. But it doesn't include the New River Valley, which is connected to Roanoke via Virginia Tech and a merging economy. Too small.

The Appalachian Regional Commission's territory? No, its members include West Virginia and parts of 12 other states. Too big.

State-designated planning districts? Well, the Fifth Planning District includes Roanoke. But it also includes the Alleghany Highlands - and excludes the New River Valley and Smith Mountain Lake. Not a good fit.

Two conclusions. First, don't try to impose an absolute boundary on the regional economy. It doesn't have one. The lines shift depending on definitions and purposes at hand - a media market, for instance, or commute times to work. This isn't a problem.

Second, no official jurisdictions come close to defining the regional economy. On the contrary, existing borders get in the way, and will complicate formulation of an economic strategy. This is a problem, which must be worked around and overcome.

by CNB