An Urban America
March 14, 2008
Along the campaign trail, candidates have traded blows over a litany of contentious policy issues, especially with regard to bolstering the ailing economy. Throughout these heated exchanges, one central theme kept emerging from the clamor: change is crucial, now more than ever.
According to the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, long-lasting, broad change won’t be achieved through the current federal approach of implementing expedient policy fixes. Instead, these much-needed solutions would stem from a major shift of the national policy strategy to focus on metropolitan regions, which many experts feel are the key to ensuring America’s success in the future.
“Right now, Washington is a little obsessed with short-term concerns,” says Alan Berube, director of research at the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. “We’re at the point where we really need to think about the long-term challenges facing the nation, and concentrate on those assets that will secure our future prosperity, through economic growth, social inclusion and conserving natural resources. These assets are centralized in metropolitan areas.”
Berube stressed this message during a presentation titled “The Blueprint for American Prosperity: Unleashing the Potential of a Metropolitan Nation,” held at USC’s Galen Center on March 5. The event was sponsored by the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development (SPPD) and CityView, a national real estate investing company headed by former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros.
Speaking before an audience of nearly 300, which included civic leaders as well as USC faculty and students, Berube argued that the United States’ ability to compete globally and meet the economic and social challenges of the 21st century rests largely on the health, vitality and prosperity of the nation’s metropolitan areas.
It’s not coincidental that Brookings is presenting the Blueprint initiative during the presidential campaign, he explained.
“This election is historic,” Berube said. “This is the first time since 1952 that a sitting president or vice president will not be a nominee of either party. So we like to think that it positions this election as a competition for ideas.
“The nation is standing at a crossroads at many levels: global economic competition, the size of the global labor force, demographic changes transforming the communities in which we live, challenges of environmental sustainability and climate change. So for all these reasons, it’s time to have a conversation.”
This call to expand election discourse to include issues affecting metro regions resonates strongly among leading policy scholars.
“As a school, we think of ourselves as having a vision for a better future,” said Jack H. Knott, dean of SPPD. “We see ourselves as preparing students to be leaders who are going to find innovative solutions to critical issues in our society.
“And when you start thinking about what those issues are — affordable housing, sustainable redevelopment, issues of governance, for example — all of them play out in our major metropolitan areas. Whether Democrat or Republican, the country really needs this discussion.”
Convergence of Policy and Ideas
The Brookings Institution launched its Blueprint agenda this past November with the release of the 64-page report “MetroNation: How U.S. Metropolitan Areas Fuel American Prosperity.”
According to the study, the United States has 363 distinct metropolitan areas. The 100 largest metro regions alone make up 12 percent of the nation’s land, yet house 65 percent of the entire population. They also generate 75 percent of America’s multi-trillion-dollar gross domestic product.
In addition, the 100 largest metro areas account for 68 percent of all jobs, 67 percent of major research universities, 74 percent of college graduates, 79 percent of U.S. air cargo, 94 percent of venture capital funding and 78 percent of all product patents.
Knott underscored that the nation has much at stake — financially, educationally and socially — in improving the state of metro regions.
“The future is now,” Knott said. “Problems that were once on the horizon have arrived abruptly. And it’s not in any of our best interests to simply ignore these serious quandaries dealing with infrastructure and urban planning. What’s needed is a convergence of policy and ideas, wherein solutions are crafted and action is taken.”
Minority Impact
The U.S. population is expected to add an estimated 120 million people within the next 42 years, the MetroNation report states. And this rapid growth has significant implications, not just environmentally, but economically.
During this time, minorities and immigrants will have a tremendous impact on the job market. African Americans and Latinos will compose 40 percent of the labor force by 2050, the study notes.
Dowell Myers, a professor of urban planning and demography at SPPD who served a panelist at the Brookings presentation, said that the nation should embrace immigration as a solution, rather than treating it like a problem.
“Diversity is an asset. Immigration enriches our urban areas,” Myers said. “Who’s going to replace baby boomers in the workforce? We know who: immigrants.
“The metro nation lesson is that we’re all in this together. We need the federal government to invest in local areas, so we can invest in each other.”
Time for Washington To ‘Get Smart’
Amid the comprehensive challenges metro areas face, many local leaders feel like they’re going it alone, Berube said. He added that the federal government needs to be updated to keep pace with the dynamic changes occurring in metro regions.
“For too long, the federal government has been asleep at the wheel in helping to partner with states and localities to help them resolve these challenges,” Berube said.
“Washington is involved in every aspect of economic life in our metropolitan areas. The question is: What if Washington got smart in how it deployed its resources?”