Amy Liu is vice president and director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program and the Adeline M.
and Alfred I. Johnson Chair in Urban and Metropolitan Policy. A national expert on cities and
metropolitan areas, Liu is adept at translating research and insights into action on the ground. As
director of the Metropolitan Policy Program, which she co-founded in 1996, Liu 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, Ala.
Liu writes frequently about inclusive economic growth, the fortunes of midsized cities and small towns,
and the intersection of economic, workforce, and community development policies. Liu’s paper
“Remaking Economic Development” has catalyzed shifts in economic development toward higherquality 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 multiyear 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 Liu’s
work at Brookings, she was Special Assistant to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry
Cisneros and staffed the U.S. Senate Banking Committee’s subcommittee on housing and urban affairs.
Liu brings her passion for inclusive prosperity and bottom-up action to key nonprofits and institutions.
Liu serves on the board of Equal Measure, a nonprofit that helps local and national organizations
advance social change, and Connected DMV, a regional collaborative in greater Washington, D.C. Liu is
an advisory council member to ACT for Alexandria, a local community foundation, and Urban Land
Institute Washington. Liu is also a member of the University of Illinois System President’s Advisory
Council and the Walton Family Foundation Research Advisory Council.
Liu holds a degree in social policy and urban studies from Northwestern University. In 2015, Liu
completed the High Impact Leadership Program at Columbia Business School.