Economy

The Metropolitan Moment

Urban communities represent the true economic geography
Courtesy Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program

The early decades of this century are shaping up to be historically disruptive and defining. The global economic order is in a state of radical transition. New environmental imperatives and safety concerns are driving the extreme makeover of national energy systems. Rapid technological innovation is both expanding individual choice and enabling collective action. Social inequities and political volatility are at a fever pitch.

One unifying, simplifying thread emerges in this tumultuous period: the power of cities and metropolitan areas.