All over the world urbanization has brought with it many problems. Sri Lanka too has undergone rapid changes through urbanization during the last few decades. The most noticeable change has occurred in Colombo, the capital city. Serious attempts have not been taken so far to avoid the impending crises facing Colombo and its environs due to rapid population increase, traffic congestion, water shortages. Ad hoc action has been taken to carry out certain physical planning programmes in response to urgent demands of the central and local government. Various governmental departments, statutory boards and corporations which carry out multifarious functions in the Colombo Metropolitan Region have failed in their attempts to improve the quality of life of the human beings who live in the region. Hence it is timely to examine the institutional mechanisms needed to stimulate the development of the Colombo Region. This dissertation attempts to study this factor. It consists of seven chapters. Chapter 1 gives the various concepts of the 'region' and regional planning leading to the background to metropolitan Regional Development Planning and Regional Organizations in Sri Lanka. Chapter 2 explains how the Town and Country Ordinance came to be enacted and as a consequence of which certain organizational elements associated with Metropolitan Regional Development Planning evolved. In Chapter 3 a critical review has been made of the various existing provisions of the Town and Country Planning Ordinance pertaining to Metropolitan Regional Development Planning. Chapter 4 deals with four case studies of Metropolitan Regional Management in selected countries within the Asian region, one outside. Namely they are the Calcutta Metropolitan Development. Authority (India), Urban Development Authority, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Lahore Development Authority (Pakistan); Karachi Development Authority (Pakistan) and the Capital Region Planning Board, Victoria, British Columbia (Canada). Chapter 5 evaluates a case for a comprehensive Metropolitan Regional Development Authority in Colombo. Chapter 6 discusses the various implications that would arise with the establishment of the Metropolitan Authority for the Colombo region. Finally, Chapter 7 spells out the conclusions and recommendations arising out of the overall study.