It is in the public interest to create an agency composed of officials of political subdivisions and private citizens to coordinate planning and development within each area of this state having a population of more than 1,000,000 according to the United States decennial census of 1970 or any future such census; to designate the agency as the regional development center under Article 2 of this chapter to make the agency the official metropolitan agency for comprehensive research, study, advice, and review concerning area plans; to improve relationships between political subdivisions and public agencies within areas; and to provide policy direction for the solution of common problems through short and long-range comprehensive planning within areas.