Councils of governments are regional bodies that exist throughout the United States. They are also sometimes called regional councils, regional commissions, regional planning commissions, planning district commissions, and development districts. A typical council is defined to serve an area of several counties, and they address issues such as regional and municipal planning, economic and community development, cartography and GIS, hazard mitigation and emergency planning, aging services, water use, pollution control, transit administration, and transportation planning. Council membership is drawn from the county, city, and other government bodies within its area.