SPOTLIGHT: U.S. Economy

Reuters/Fred Prouser - People search for jobs on computers at the Verdugo Jobs Center, a partnership with the California Employment Development Department, in Glendale, California.
Karen Dynan, Ted Gayer and Alan Berube, November 15, 2009
Despite the economy’s expansion in the last quarter, many American workers still lack jobs, the confidence to spend or a home to call their own. A team of Brookings experts began tracking data early this year to assess various dimensions of national and international well-being. The second quarterly "How We’re Doing" index looks at forces that stand in the way of a strong rebound and asks, "where are we going?"
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U.S. Economy, U.S. Economic Growth, Mortgage Market, Cities
SPOTLIGHT: Cities

Istock Photos/Denis Jr. Tangney - Boston Massachusetts skyline
Bruce Katz, October 26, 2009
At an event with Congressman John Olver in Holyoke, Mass., Bruce Katz outlined the contours and implications of a low-carbon, innovation-fueled, and export-oriented economy for our Metro Nation, and specifically older New England metros. Using the example of post-industrial European cities, he emphasized the importance of metropolitan areas having a strong federal partner to drive the next economy.
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Cities, Community Development, Economic Development
SPOTLIGHT: Transportation

Reuters/John Gress - American Airlines MD-80 aircrafts sit on the tarmac at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.
Robert Puentes and Adie Tomer, October 08, 2009
Robert Puentes and Adie Tomer assess metropolitan air travel trends over the past two decades. They find that most travel is consolidated within a select group of 26 metropolitan areas, which contribute to the country’s highest volume corridors and produce the worst on-time performance. Their findings reveal serious implications for the country’s aviation infrastructure as passenger volumes are predicted to grow in the coming years.
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Transportation, Federalism, Highways, Traffic, Environment