Notes from the Field: Where is the Urban Information Field Today?

In February 2006, the Urban Markets Initiative (UMI) of the Brookings Institution brought together diverse practitioners in the emerging field of urban information. At the Inaugural UMI Forum, Ready, Set, Go! Using Information to Drive Urban Markets, over 175 leaders in community development and urban markets gathered to explore the ways in which information is being used to leverage investments, accelerate asset building strategies, create new opportunities for business investment, and better target investments in neighborhoods around the nation.

On June 15 at 2:00 PM ET Brookings held an online discussion about the future direction for the field of community information drawing from the experiences from the UMI Forum and those of the participants in the 100 days since the first nationwide gathering of professionals in the urban information field.

Pari Sabety, Andrew Reamer, and Alyssa Stewart Lee, who direct the Urban Markets Initiative, presented findings from interviews with leaders in the urban information field and from a forthcoming discussion paper about learnings from the UMI Forum.

Watch the Presentation
The discussion, archived with video and audio (Free registration, required)

UMI Online Discussion Series
UMI hosts and participates in a series of online discussions on the critical role of information in increasing the competitiveness of urban markets and connecting urban residents to the economic mainstream.