Volume 4, Number 1 - Urban Economic Development - Spring 2000

Title: Strategic Investment and Economic Development in the United States

Authors: Federico Pe-a and John Parr

Abstract: This essay traces activities from the early 80s to the present in the Denver metropolitan area, which is comprised of six counties and 41 municipalities with a population of 2.5 million (1998). In particular, it focuses on activities in the central city, Denver, with a population of 500,000 whose mayor from 1983 to 1991 was Federico Pe-a and from 1992 to the present has been Wellington Webb. A major theme of the essay is that the traditional boundaries of political jurisdictions are not very relevant to issues such as economic development. The essay gives lessons learned in economic development for both the region and central city.

About the Authors: Federico Pe-a lives in Denver and is a Managing Director of Vestar Investments, Inc. In addition to serving as Mayor of Denver he has served as the Secretary of both the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Energy. He received a B.A. (1969) and a J.D. (1972) from the University of Texas at Austin. John Parr is a co-founder of the Denver-based Center for Regional and Neighborhood Action. He is the former President of the National Civic League. He co-directed the 1987 study ÒBoundary Crossers: How Ten Metropolitan Regions Work.Ó He received a B.A. (1970) from Purdue University and a J.D. (1977) from the University of Denver.

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