Brookings: Time to Rethink Economic Development

A new policy paper argues that real economic development reaches all levels of the economy—not just the top.

1 minute read

March 10, 2016, 1:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Construction

Jianghaistudio / Shutterstock

Amy Liu lays out the challenge for leaders in cities and regions to "remake" economic development, citing the lesson delivered by the lackluster U.S. economy: "Top-line growth doesn’t ensure bottom-line prosperity." 

Along those lines, Liu has created a paper for the Brookings Institution titled "Remaking Economic Development: The Markets and Civics of Continuous Growth and Prosperity." Liu provides an abstract of sorts for the paper on the Brookings Institution website, where she lays out five action principles that put the ideas in the paper into practice:

  1. Set the right goals
  2. Grow from within
  3. Boost trade
  4. Invest in people and skills
  5. Connect place

Liu's work caught the attention of Joe Cortright, who provides a lengthy (but concise) summary of the new paper.

Monday, February 29, 2016 in Brookings Institution

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

People biking along beach path with moored ship in San Diego, California.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan

The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

3 hours ago - SD News

Sleeping in Public

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts

Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

4 hours ago - KSL

Conductor walks down platform next to Amtrak train at station in San Jose, California.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement

An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

5 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA