What will it take for cities and suburban counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia to make common cause, put aside their differences and petty jealousies, and work together to resolve major issues? The answer won’t be found in another study. In the space of 10 years, we’ve had seven studies of one kind or another by some state-level urban task force or special commission. The result? Cities still face the same problems. So do the fast-growing counties. State laws and regulations continue to strip both types of localities of any flexibility in resolving many of their problems.