Starting a revolution at home.

• Author: Kavanagh, Shayne
• Position: The Bookshelf

According to the Brookings Institution's Bruce Katz and Jennifer Bradley, "the tectonic plates of power and responsibility are shifting. Across the nation, cities and metros (metropolitan regions) are taking control of their own destinies, becoming deliberate about their economic growth." This is more than a slight redistribution of power, but an "inversion of the hierarchy of power in the United States." The roots of this revolution are many, including the current and likely continued paralysis and impotence of the federal government to take serious action on issues of domestic development. But more fundamentally, metros are now the clear engine of economic growth for the country, and their leaders are closer to the action--they don't study problems in the abstract; they experience them every day, Further, metros are far better positioned to take advantage of collaborative opportunities with non-governmental organizations, universities, private businesses, and other individuals and entities that can make an important contribution to improving the community. Katz and Bradley believe that "the metropolitan revolution offers the United States its best chance to revive its national economy, reboot its national competitiveness, and restore purpose to its politics, and civility to its commons."

FIVE STEPS FOR LEADERS OF METROS

But how to realize the promise of this revolution? Katz and Bradley identify five essential steps for metropolitan leaders to take.

Build Your Network. The challenges and opportunities faced by metros cannot be adequately addressed by a single municipal government; they require concerted efforts by multiple local governments as well as private organizations and individuals. Katz and Bradley believe that collaboration and network building are "the most important foundations for transformative action in a city and metropolis. Everything that follows--vision, strategy, tactics, and impact--is derivative." Metropolitan leaders can start building a network with small steps: for example, meeting with other local organizations to discuss issues of common interest, getting their opinions, and finding out who else should be involved in the conversation. Local governments, and mayors in particular, have a tremendous power to convene members of the community, so the cost of developing a network can be quite low, and the returns can be quite high. While the networks are by nature amorphous and hard to measure, Katz and Bradley offer a...