21st Century: Dangerous Changes to Wealth Distribution, the Economy and the Environment

Enrico Moretti, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, UC Berkeley; Author, The New Geography of Jobs
Asieh Mansour, Ph.D., Retired Real Estate Economist; Former Head of Research, Americas, CBRE
Claude Gruen, Ph.D., Principal Economist, Gruen Gruen + Associates; Author, New Urban Development: Looking Back to Forward – Moderator

Join three highly respected researchers and economists in a turning-point discussion of what our economic prospects and trajectory of income distribution could be in the 21st century. Age-old themes of conflict, war, disease, starvation and poverty are writ large in human history. What will be the economic legacy of the 21st century? Where are we headed, and what will our lives be like? Will job creation and the economy shape our future? Will climate change really matter if we lose the middle class and push people into a downward spiral of poverty, poor living conditions, little hope and a pathway that leads to more wars and conflicts? What will be the impact of the current pace of globalization? Will this escalate inequality, and will that cause democracy to crumble?

Dr. Moretti will describe the results of his analysis of the changes taking place in American cities and their economies. Dr. Mansour grew up in Iran and was educated in Switzerland and in the United States. She will focus on income distribution in the U.S. and abroad, and increased barriers to mobility among lower-income American people. Dr. Gruen will share his studies about communities, mobility, transportation, growth and change.

MLF: Environment & Natural Resources/Business & Leadership
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. Moretti and Gruen book signing
Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
Program Organizer: Ann Clark
Also know: Part of the New Visions for the Environment Series