Effectively addressing the interrelated economic development challenges facing Greater Boston will require inspired civic leadership. This is a challenge in a region known for fragmentation and parochialism. Richard Freeland, who recently stepped down as President of Northeastern University, recently commented on the once-quaint Boston tradition of inspired self-confidence, “History is filled with stories of decline among communities that believed a successful past entitled them to a flourishing future. We ignore patterns that point toward erosion of our position at our peril.”

Whether the issues at hand are university-industry partnerships, workforce development, regional standards for development, or the provision of Adult Basic Education and English for Speakers of Other Languages, collaboration and coordination are required to deal with this issue.

A related challenge is the parochial nature of leadership in Greater Boston. The economic development challenges that face Greater Boston are metropolitan in scale. The interrelated issues of middle class job creation, human capital supply, housing, transportation, and social and economic disparity cut across municipal boundaries. Challenges to regional economic growth cannot be met by a single municipality. Rather, they will be met when the region’s civic and business leaders transcend urban-suburban rivalries and come together to develop solutions that are in the best interest of the entire metropolitan region.

MAPC supports regional economic development by informing regional dialogue through the distribution of data and economic analysis, by convening structured and facilitated regional forums, and by securing federal funds targeted for economic development.