Amy Liu is a nonresident senior fellow at Brookings Metro within the Brookings Institution. Liu has nearly three decades of experience as both a scholar and executive, committed to improving governance and public policies at the local, national, and global levels.
Most recently, she served as the interim president of Brookings, guiding the institution for 18 months through a period of strategic assessment and change, leaving it stronger for its next chapter of leadership. She then stayed on as a presidential advisor to help with the transition and oversee critical cross-institution initiatives, such as the harnessing of AI and emerging technologies and tapping international perspectives in the institution’s global mission.
Prior to July 2022, Liu served as vice president and director of Brookings Metro, which she co-founded in 1996. Today, the program is a leading resource for public and private sector leaders interested in promoting prosperous, just, and resilient communities. Liu is an expert on cities and metropolitan areas, as well as the interplay of national, state, and local policies in expanding economic opportunity. She has worked with leaders across the U.S. to translate research insights into action, and has written extensively about the future of post-pandemic cities, inclusive economic growth, state and local cooperation, and the role of federal policies in supporting place-based revitalization across urban and rural areas. Liu’s 2016 paper “Remaking economic development: The markets and civics of continuous growth and prosperity” spurred the development of new metrics for defining quality economic performance for metro areas and inspired widespread shifts in the goals and practices of many economic developers.
Liu has published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Bloomberg News, and has been cited in a wide variety of national and local media platforms. Liu also served several stints in the federal government, including time at the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Senate Banking Committee’s subcommittee on housing and urban affairs.
Liu serves on several nonprofit boards and advisory councils, including JUST Capital, Equal Measure, the University of Illinois System President’s Advisory Council, and the Inclusive Abundance Initiative. Liu has received numerous accolades for her work over the years, including being named to Washington Business Journal’s 2021 class of Women Who Mean Business.
Liu holds a Bachelor of Science degree in social policy with a concentration in urban studies from Northwestern University. In 2015, Liu completed the High Impact Leadership Program at Columbia Business School.