Via GOOD/blog by Cliff Kuang I found the report “MetroNation: How U.S. Metropolitan Areas Fuel American Prosperity” produced by Brookings University.
Rhythm of the Metropolis by Thomas Hawk
The report explores some of the challenges facing the U.S. and states that metropolitan areas are the key to American properity, yet policy inhibits further productivity levels.
The 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas contain 65 percent of the nation’s population and 68 percent of its jobs, but gather even larger shares of innovative activity (78 percent of U.S. patent activity), educated workers (75 percent of graduate degree holders), and critical infrastructure (79 percent of U.S. air cargo). As such, they generate three-quarters of U.S. gross domestic product. Their successes, and those of the nation’s smaller metro and rural areas, are inextricably linked.
The close relationship between innovation and urban centres is the subject of my previous post urban innovation. In fact, the data strongly suggests that such innovation is a requirement to fuel sustained growth.
The report builds a case for a new federal approach that allows cities to react more effectively to economic and demographic changes. Such an approach is badly needed as indicated by the following trends:
- After increasing to a 2.8% growth rate in 2003/04, GDP per-job growth in the 100 largest metro areas decelerated to a 1.4%.
- Employment rate has grown more slowly in the U.S. thatn in most industrialized nations.
- Polarization continues as the size of middle class in major metro areas continues its decline
- Nearly 1/3 of consumers in the largest metro areas have credit scores below 595.
- Per-capita vehicle miles travelled increased 28% in 10 years – twice as fast as population.
The report concludes that the government must value and strengthen the urban agglomerations that drive and dominate the economy.
