Are We a Metro Nation?

When Brookings Institution vice president Bruce Katz looks at American cities he sees both promise and peril. He says it's important to realize that the US has become what he calls a Metro Nation. He says the nation's 350-plus metropolitan areas, Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor for example, have now become bigger engines for economic and social change than the 50 states. Cities are the places where the confluence of innovation, human capital, infrastructure and quality places will produce (or not) the energy and drive to propel the country through the new century. And Katz thinks it's time government policy was geared to capitalize on this new paradigm. But he says government has been slow to adjust. Further, with tens of millions of baby boomers nearing retirement age, the younger, more diverse workforce of the future--which is growing fastest in the cities--is way behind in educational attainment. We'll discuss the promises and the perils with Katz and leading local thinkers. We'll see what this new "Metro Nation" should look like, where government fits in, and how it affects individuals. Join us this morning at 9:00.