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What the Nation Can Learn From America’s Metropolitan Regions

Equity, Growth and Community, a new book by Chris Benner and Manuel Pastor

In the last several years, much has been written about growing economic challenges, increasing income inequality, and political polarization in the United States. This new book by Chris Benner and Manuel Pastor argues that lessons for addressing these national challenges are emerging from a new set of realities in America’s metropolitan regions: first, that inequity is, in fact, bad for economic growth; second, that bringing together the concerns of equity and growth requires concerted local action; and, third, that the fundamental building block for doing this is the creation of diverse and dynamic epistemic (or knowledge) communities, which help to overcome political polarization and help regions address the challenges of economic restructuring and social divides.

Benner and Pastor examine how inequality stunts economic growth and how bringing together equity and growth requires concerted local action. Combining data, case studies, and emerging narratives on multi-sector collaborations in 11 metro regions, the book offers a powerful prescription not just for metros but for our national challenges of slow job growth, rising economic inequality, and sharp political polarization.

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Thanks to LAANE for alert about this resource!

Founded in 1993, LAANE is recognized as a national leader in the effort to address the challenges of working poverty, inadequate health care and polluted communities. Combining a vision of social justice with a practical approach to social change, LAANE has helped set in motion a broad movement to transform conditions in Los Angeles and beyond.  For the past 15 years, LAANE has been in the forefront of the nation’s most dynamic progressive movement. LAANE spearheaded the defeat of Wal-Mart’s ballot initiative in Inglewood, led Los Angeles’ groundbreaking living wage campaign and pioneered a new approach to economic development that has become a national model for community empowerment.