subregional

Subregional is an adjective used to describe things pertaining to subdivisions within a larger region. In geography, planning, and policy, subregional units are defined to analyze needs, resources, and development opportunities within a broader area. The term combines sub- (below or part of) with regional, signaling a level between local and regional scales.

Subregional boundaries are drawn for administrative, statistical, or planning purposes. They may reflect functional areas such as urban cores and surrounding hinterlands, river basins, or economic corridors, and may cross municipal borders to enable coordinated action.

In practice, subregional planning encompasses transportation, land use, housing, environment, and economic development programs that seek to align activities across multiple jurisdictions. Subregional data aggregates enable comparisons and planning without collapsing information to the city level.

Challenges include boundary arbitrariness, inconsistent data, and political negotiations among participating jurisdictions. Because subregional definitions are often program-specific, they can vary between countries or over time.

Related terms include regional planning, subnational governance, metropolitan regions, and microregions. In statistical work, subregional levels provide finer-grained insights that support targeted investment and policy design within a larger region.