Helping Communities Make the Most of Historic Public Investment

6-8 p.m.

The Hamilton – The Loft
600 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20005

8:30 to 9 a.m. ET

Rip Rapson, President and CEO, The Kresge Foundation
Alan Berube, Interim Vice President and Director, Brookings Metro

A dialogue discussing how the Biden investment agenda — underpinned by its industrial strategy investing in infrastructure, innovation and the clean economy — can lay the foundation for equitable and sustainable economic growth and what its success depends on.

Heather Boushey, Member, Council of Economic Advisors and Chief Economist, Investing in America Cabinet
Diane Lim, Director, Equity Hub, U.S. Department of Treasury

Moderator: Robert Simpson, President and CEO, CenterState CEO

A video highlighting how city-leaders are leveraging American Rescue Plan Act dollars for transformative investments in public safety initiatives that not only address the pandemic-era spike in gun violence, but also support thriving and healthy communities in the long term.

A dialogue about regional economic recovery and growth, spotlighting the Economic Development Administration’s $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge and how its largest grantee, the Fresno-Merced Future of Food Innovation coalition, is enabling collaboration among federal, state, and local leaders to equitably transition California’s agricultural economy through disruptive technological and environmental change. Introductory remarks: Alejandra Y. Castillo, Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, U.S. Department of Commerce

Elena Chávez Quezada, Senior Advisor for Social Innovation, Office of the Governor, State of California
Ashley Swearengin, President and CEO, Central Valley Community Foundation

Moderator: Chantel Rush Tebbe, Managing Director, American Cities, The Kresge Foundation

10:40 to 10:50 A.M.

The mechanics of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act gives states overwhelming control over what kinds of projects get built, where investments take place, and—importantly—who stands to benefit. This dialogue will feature state infrastructure leads discussing the challenges and opportunities in this given moment, highlighting specific policies and projects that are supporting transformational change at the local level.

Introduced by: Adie Tomer, Senior Fellow, Brookings Metro
Wendy Hawthorne, Director of IIJA and IRA Strategic Coordination, State of Colorado
Jackson Wright, Director of Special Projects, Office of the Governor, State of Louisiana

Moderator: Samantha Silverberg, Deputy Infrastructure Implementation Coordination, The White House

A dialogue on how climate funding, particularly from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act, can best be deployed in disadvantaged communities and center community-driven solutions.

Stephanie Gidigbi Jenkins, Vice President of Strategy, Communities First Fund
Roger Kim, Executive Director, Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund
Elizabeth Yeampierre, Executive Director, UPROSE and Co-Chair, Climate Justice Alliance

Moderator: Xavier de Souza Briggs, Senior Fellow, Brookings Metro

12 to 1 P.M.

1. Leveraging State Infrastructure Dollars at the Local Level

Formula programs represent over 75% of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s total spending, giving states overwhelming control over what kinds of projects get built, where investments take place, and—importantly—who stands to benefit. This workshop will include state-focused peers, national experts, and local leaders discussing how state formula infrastructure dollars can be leveraged for transformative change at the local and regional level.

2. Delivering on the Promise of a New Industrial Policy: Lessons on Implementation from Regional Intermediaries

Historic federal investments in the nation’s advanced industries present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build clusters of innovation and prosperity in a broader range of regional economies. Yet, regional leaders—and their state and federal partners—need to elevate their implementation capabilities to make the most of the current moment. This working session will surface emerging lessons and innovations from regional coalitions working to translate catalytic public and private investments into economic opportunity for more people in their communities.

3. Examining State Partner Roles in Sparking, Supporting, and Sustaining Regional Inclusive Economic Initiatives

State policies, practices, and funding exert enormous influence over regional economic organizing, growth, and inclusive outcomes. Several states are reorienting programs and integrating functions around the needs and opportunities of their distinct economic regions, both urban and rural. These efforts include promoting and partnering with new regional collaboratives, co-investing in place-based strategies, and coordinating agency actions. The scaling and durability of innovative activities seeded or inspired by federal investments also rely on states aligning behind regions—allocating resources and effort—to support these initiatives and local capacity to implement them. This session will workshop how states and their regions execute on this agenda through programs and operations, drawing transferable lessons from over a decade of experimentation.

4. Investing in America’s Infrastructure Workforce: Maximizing Federal Funding to Expand Opportunity

Historic federal funding is creating an unprecedented window for infrastructure investment across the country. These investments offer the promise of strengthening infrastructure career pathways, opening them to a greater diversity of workers, and benefiting millions of current and prospective infrastructure workers. Yet simply injecting more money into existing processes and programs is no guarantee that all people and places will benefit. Instead, achieving these outcomes requires collaborative strategies that bring infrastructure and workforce entities together, with an eye toward expanding the talent pool and boosting inclusive economic development over the long term. This workshop will bring together forward-thinking regions, national thought leaders, and other stakeholders to explore actionable strategies around infrastructure workforce development.

A video highlighting upcoming Brookings Metro research that examines the association between capital investment and displacement in the neighborhoods comprising the Livernois-Six Mile area of Detroit. Bagley, Fitzgerald, University District, Martin Park, and Palmer Park neighborhoods have garnered strategic philanthropic and governmental investments, resulting in capital improvements to real estate, streetscapes, parks, and businesses. But have these investments created value for the Black residents, reflected in their willingness and ability to continue living in those neighborhoods?

Saf Yeboah-Amankwah, Chief Strategy Officer, Intel
Moderator: Amy Liu, Interim President, Brookings