

We believe every community can be prosperous, just, and resilient – no matter its starting point.
As Brookings Metro enters its next 25 years of impact, we have redoubled our commitment to local leaders. In collaboration, we will help them transform original research insights into policy and practical solutions that scale nationwide.
Read more about Brookings Metro, our 25th anniversary campaign, and our vision for the future.
The Latest

Why the federal government needs to change how it collects data on Native Americans
This January, the White House released proposals for reclassifying racial data collection in the 2030 census. Most notably, the proposals include combining race and ethnicity into a single question, as well as creating a new racial category for Middle Eastern and North African people. While these changes are welcome and will go a long way […]

Why are young people driving less? Evidence points to economics, not preferences
Trends in driving behavior over the last 20 years have led to speculation about a less car-centric urban future. Young adults are less likely to have access to a vehicle in their home and are less likely to have a driver’s license. At first glance, this might appear to be a win for the city […]

Breaking the ‘urban doom loop’: The future of downtowns is shared prosperity
In 2019, the skylines of many American downtowns were sparkling with new construction. Hudson Yards in New York, the Frost Tower in San Antonio, San Francisco’s Salesforce Tower, the futuristic Amazon Spheres and surrounding towers in Seattle, and thousands of other buildings were all part of the more than 100 million square feet of new […]

Washington may be about to take a giant step backward in closing the digital divide
The North Star of communications policy should be to make services faster, better, and cheaper for all. Yet, next year, about 50 million Americans could find that their access to the core communications service of our time—broadband—has become slower, worse, and more expensive, with many even likely to be disconnected. That shift would constitute the […]
Helping communities make the most of historic public investment
Brookings Metro has launched a major initiative to act as a bridge between local leaders and federal decisionmakers, so that generational national investments in infrastructure, economic vitality, and climate action yield transformative and equitable impact in communities—and powerful learning at the federal level.
Focus Areas
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