A great deal of its strength comes from the strong support and influence on decision making that it exercises as a result of the non-partisan, highly participative and technical nature of its activities. Antofagasta’s Creo Antofagasta could reproduce these characteristics, since it already enjoys support from a wide variety of actors (private and public) that are willing to contribute knowledge and funds. Furthermore, Creo Antofagasta’s wide support can be a good source of resources beyond those necessary for day-to-day activities, and allow it to emulate the RPA’s funding scheme centred on an independently managed endowment that provides 80% of the funds required for its operations. The rest of the financing would be generated by grants and fees-for-service (Regional Plan Association, n.d.). It transformed into the urban institute for the Ile-de-France Region when the latter took over the functions of the former in 1976, and in 1982 IAU-IdF became an associated body of the Regional Council. Although focused on the territory of the Ile-de-France Region, the IAU-IdF also conducts studies in co-operation with other European metropolises on topics that include economic competitiveness, planning, public transport and airports.