Amy Liu

Amy Liu is vice president and director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings and the Adeline M. and Alfred I. Johnson Chair in Urban and Metropolitan Policy. She is a national expert on cities and metropolitan areas adept at translating research and insights into action on the ground. As director of the Metropolitan Policy Program, which Liu co-founded in 1996, she pioneered the program’s signature approach to state and local engagements, which uses rigorous research to inform strategies for economic growth and opportunity. Liu has worked directly on such strategies with scores of public, private, and philanthropic sector leaders in regions around the country, including Chicago, Detroit, Louisville, San Diego, and Birmingham.

Liu frequently writes about inclusive economic growth, the fortunes of mid-sized cities and small towns, and the intersection of economic, workforce, and community development policies. Liu recently authored “Remaking Economic Development” which argues that leaders must adopt a broader vision of economic development that can deliver growth, prosperity, and inclusion for all residents. In 2011, Liu was lead editor of “Resilience and Opportunity: Lessons from the Gulf Coast after Katrina and Rita,” which built on her co-authorship of the New Orleans Index, a multi-year series of reports that tracked New Orleans’ progress in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Liu is frequently cited in top media outlets such as the New York Times, the Atlantic, the Wall Street Journal, and NPR.

Liu also has extensive experience working with states and the federal government to develop policies and strategies to support cities and metropolitan areas. In 2013, Liu served as a special advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, guiding policy priorities related to trade, innovation, and data. Prior to her work at Brookings, Liu was Special Assistant to HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros and staffed the U.S. Senate Banking Committee’s subcommittee on housing and urban affairs.

Liu serves on the board of Equal Measure, a nonprofit that helps local and national organizations advance social change and for ACT of Alexandria, a local community foundation.

Liu holds a degree in social policy and urban studies from Northwestern University. In 2015, she completed the High Impact Leadership Program at Columbia Business School.

EDUCATION

B.S. in Social Policy, Northwestern University, 1993