Taking the Urban Road to Connecticut’s Future

In this keynote presentation at the Benchmarking Connecticut 2006 Conference, Bruce Katz argues that to remain competitive in the knowledge economy, Connecticut needs an urban and metropolitan vision for economic growth. This vision will require a dramatic overhaul of state policies, and will depend on the formation of new political coalitions. To maintain a competitive edge, constituencies that are naturally disposed to urban regeneration—mayors, leaders in older suburbs, developers, business alliances, banks, universities, hospitals, creative firms—must establish a pro-urban, pro-innovation coalition for state policy reform.