Chairman, The Citistates Group
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Neal Peirce is a foremost writer, among American journalists, on metropolitan regions — their political and economic dynamics, their emerging national and global roles. With Curtis Johnson, he has co-authored the Peirce Reports (now called Citistates Reports) on compelling issues of metropolitan futures for leading media in more than 20 regions across the nation.Reports of recent years include Boston Unbound, released in May 2004, a report on the San Diego-Tijuana citistate area for San Diego Magazine, South Florida for the Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Kansas City for the Kansas City Star, and South Texas for the San Antonio Express-News. A recent Citistates project, for the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier, was published serially in September and October 2007.
In 2004-2006, Peirce took a lead role in conceptualizing and launching the New England Futures Project, starting with a six-part monthly Peirce-Johnson series — printed by 27 newspapers — focused on how that that historic six-state region deals with its 21st century energy, transportation, growth, higher education, broadband and health challenges. The New England report was preceded by a special report — Boston Unbound – printed by the Boston Globe in 2003. He is a principal author of a major report and forward look at global urban challenges, Century of the City, based on the Rockefeller Foundation’s 2007 Global Urban Summit in Bellagio, Italy; the book is scheduled for publication in June 2008. In 1975, Peirce began — and continues today — the United States’ first national column focused on state and local government themes. Syndication is by the Washington Post Writers Group. His 10-book series on America’s states and regions culminated in The Book of America: Inside 50 States Today (W.W. Norton, 1983). His more recent books were Citistates: How Urban America Can Prosper in a Competitive World, Boundary Crossers: Community Leadership for a Global Age, and Breakthroughs: Recreating The American City. Peirce was one of the founders and then a contributing editor of National Journal, and was active in the ’60s as political editor of Congressional Quarterly. He was a member of the National Civic League’s executive committee from the early 1970s to 1995 and was one of the founders and co-chair of the National Academy of Public Administration’s Alliance for Redesigning Government. Known widely as a lecturer on regional, urban, federal system and community development issues, Peirce has been a familiar figure before civic, business, academic and professional groups nationally. He has appeared on Meet the Press, the Today Show, National Public Radio and local media across the country. Speech TopicsThe Citistate Era and age of globalization demands that regions learn to take command of our own social, economic and environmental fortunes. How do they do that? How’s a new regional vision forged? If big government isn’t the answer, how can civic forces and business be mobilized to forge new directions for regions? And is the time ripe to expand the regional vision of the multi-city “mega-regions” of the 21st century world? Climate Change and Green Energy — Escalating energy prices and global warming present cities and regions with unprecedented challenges. What are the critical steps toward energy-efficient, lower climate footprint neighborhoods, cities and regions? Of turning “green” on every front from energy-efficient buildings to transit-oriented development, less polluting stormwater systems to distributed energy systems and promoting greater regional food self-sufficiency? Sprawl development has emerged as a key villain of our times — polluting our air, devouring our open spaces, emptying out our historic cities and towns, locating jobs miles beyond the reach of poor inner city peoples. We’ve tolerated a half century of it. For the sake of sustainable 21st century communities, are we ready to curb it now? The smart growth movement is making the case for new state and local policies, exceedingly well. Now issues of obesity and health are enlarging the debate. So what’s missing to register truly dramatic advances? The State-Region Nexis — Smart states will support the growth of strong, mutually supportive regions — not just for the sake of the regions, but because it makes smart politics and economic sense. Recent Speeches
For a full Peirce biography, click here. Last updated May 24, 2008 |