What if we thought of ourselves as a virtual city of 2 million people with an integrated housing and labor market?

This question was lobbed to a group of cities last week, including San Francisco, Fremont, Oakland,Vallejo, and Concord. All of these cities share some important characteristics:

  • They are linked by water.
  • They have assets that contribute to the Bay Area’s Innovation Ecosystem.
  • They are served by a robust University System.
  • They have at least one or more major mixed-use development opportunities that will dramatically enhance the innovation profile of the city and region.

The question was posed by Bruce Katz, Director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, co-author of The Metropolitan Revolution, and most recently, author of a special report on The Rise of Innovation Districts. (Editor’s Note: You can see Fremont’s contributions to this dialogue here.)

As the convener of this discussion, the San Francisco Chamber wished to expand beyond its usual economic forecast event. The idea was to proactively engage with its regional partners in hopes that we can leverage our collective assets to function as one “mega” Innovation District.

Bruce Katz validated our belief that the Bay Area’s assets are indeed unparalleled. If we have any downfall, it’s a meager history in working together to collectively market these assets and create meaningful linkages between our fiercely independent and unique communities.

No longer can we rest on the laurels of our Silicon Valley reputation, or the recent dynamism of San Francisco’s technology sector. We need to nurture more nascent success stories, such as the reemergence of manufacturing, and better leverage our collective proximity to Asia.

If water is the connective tissue of our region, then it’s time for us to do some synchronized swimming. Teamwork is imperative to competing at a national and global level and will help us ensure that prosperity reaches all parts of our communities.

Forging a unified brand won’t be easy. As Katz stated, we are approaching work that is “multi-dimensional and multi-sectoral.” However, with common goals around building an aspirational workforce and creative approaches to financing, the Bay Area can lead the nation.