This isn’t Obama’s initiative; this is Agenda 21, which has been in the works since 1992.
Regionalism is being pushed everywhere and has been for decades.
I first heard about it as a teenager in the days of “Tricky Dick” Nixon.
The political elites of both parties and the business elite push it.
Its easier to do business when one government exists over an entire region.
There is a movement of Section 8 housing, bad mortgage loans and the people (Democrat voters) etc. associated with that into the suburban subdivisions.
This has been going on regardless of who was president over the recent decade although more recently the Obama crowd has been continuing the process with more vigor.