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The major urban focus areas of the study are the Cities of Minneapolis and St. <br />Paul, commonly referred to as the 'Twin Cities.' The study's sponsor is the <br />Metropolitan Council, the regional planning and coordinating agency that serves a <br />seven -county area covering 3,000 square miles and more than two million people. <br />The Metropolitan Council has been in existence 22 years, guiding the region's <br />growth and contributing significantly to its quality of life. The Council sets a <br />general direction for future development patterns and establishes guidelines that <br />support development patterns and assists in making decisions about major regional <br />facilities, like airports, that support development in the area. 1/ <br />A wide range of aviation facilities are available throughout the Metropolitan <br />Council study area to accommodate general aviation, commercial service, and <br />helicopter activity. These airports, scattered throughout the region, are discussed <br />in greater detail in the following section. The focus of this study, however, is the <br />reliever airport system. <br />The demand for a region's aviation facilities is influenced by the demographic <br />and economic characteristics of that region. Regions that are characterized by a <br />growing population, having the economic means to utilize air transportation, <br />generally show a need for a well developed aviation system. Also important, a <br />diversified economic base indicates a stable economy that will sustain continued <br />demand for aviation activity. In recognition of these factors, the following <br />subsections briefly discuss the demographic characteristics and economic base of the <br />Metropolitan region. <br />The demographic character of the Twin Cities is similar to other large cities. <br />Historically, a wave of young adults ("baby -boomers") fueled rapid growth in the <br />housing and labor force during the last 15 years, despite drastically slower <br />population growth. The inconsistency between population growth and development <br />cannot continue much longer. This slowdown will not be unique to the Twin Cities <br />1/ Metropolitan Council's Citizen's Guide, 1989. <br />I-2 <br />