Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to study the characteristics and effectiveness of a county-scale growth management system that has been active in Barnstable County, Massachusetts since 1990. The power and the structure of the Cape Cod Commission, that is the core organization of the system, is carefully reviewed. The major findings include the following. CCC is a result of a county-wide effort of establishing a growth management agency with strong power of control such as DCPC and DRI. CCC and the local municipalities in the county are working closely both in formal and informal manners to manage the growth pressure on the region. The socioeconomic uniformity of the region and the citizen's strong concern to the quality of the environment are the major factors of the success of the system.
