Using the idea of regime formation and cooperation in international political economy as a guide, this paper assesses the first stage (Cross‐cceptance) of implementing the New Jersey stateplanning process as an attempt to construct a base of mutually shared norms and interests between state and local governments in the area of land use planning. The conclusion is that the first round of implementation was instrumental in building norms and consensus‐especially in the face of strong resistance to state planning from the policy environment. The main reason for the effectiveness of the Cross‐Acceptance process was that it brought local, county and state officials to a forum where they were able to discuss areas of consensus and di