Pathways To Regional Prosperity

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

10:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT

The Brookings Institution

Saul Room

1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW

Washington, D.C.

20036

For the better part of a decade, America’s two largest political parties have put forward platforms to rebuild and renew the country, with bipartisan consensus to invest in infrastructure. The economic case for maintenance and modernization, such as fixing the country’s bridges or extending its broadband networks, continues to be clear. An emerging political consensus also reflects an underlying philosophical alignment: reinvesting in our cities and towns can uplift households, businesses, and entire communities.  

On Wednesday, May 14, Brookings Metro will hold a public event to explore how the federal government can support greater investment in regions, localities, and their infrastructure systems. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) will join Senior Fellow Adie Tomer for a fireside chat about his plans for this upcoming Congress and transportation reauthorization, specifically.  

Leading up to that conversation, Presidential Advisor and Senior Fellow Amy Liu will moderate a panel with practitioners from the Chicago region. They will discuss the importance of regional collaboration to harness infrastructure as an economic engine. Then, a second panel of infrastructure leaders from the San Diego and Broward counties will describe how federal Washington can better support their unique visions. 

Agenda

May 14

Welcoming remarks

Emily Wier

Vice President, Chief Policy and Strategy officer - Policy & Innovation Center

Panel 1: Chicago’s collaborative investment model

Moderator

Amy Liu

Presidential Advisor and Senior Fellow - The Brookings Institution, Brookings Metro

@amy_liuw

Panelists

Erin Aleman

Executive Director - Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)

Tom Kotarac

Senior Vice President - Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago

Justin Kiel

County Councilman - La Porte County, IN

Panel 2: How federal lawmakers can uplift America's counties

Moderator

Adie Tomer

Senior Fellow - Brookings Metro

adie-tomer-5a47a1

Panelists

Caroline Smith

Assistant Chief Administrative Officer - San Diego County

Greg Stuart

Executive Director - Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization

Keynote

Congressman Rick Larsen (WA-02)

Rick Larsen

Member (D-Wash.) - U.S. House of Representatives

@RepRickLarsen