The American Metropolis: Are We Growing in the Right Direction?

The purpose of this conference was to tie together economic research and practical experience on the issue of metropolitan growth and development. Panels discussed the costs and benefits of metropolitan growth; the way government policies and the market influence growth; school quality as a key component of economic development; and metropolitan governance and politics. The keynote speaker, Alice Rivlin, vice chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, discussed her work, not as an economist but as a practitioner, as head of the Control Board for the city of Washington, D.C. She explained the opportunities and challenges ahead for Washington and its entire region.