The larger geographic scale at which metropolitan planning is conducted offers a useful lens for a comprehensive vision of the diverse policy streams at play in the functional territory. Throughout the OECD, the focus of spatial planning is increasingly shifting from imposing restrictions towards promoting development - at least in the official rhetoric. In practice, when metropolitan spatial plans do exist, they may still be narrowly framed around physical infrastructure and remain disconnected from regional development plans and/or economic development plans, which sometimes command larger funding (e.g. in the case of EU countries that receive Structural Funds).