Century 21 City: Seattle's Fifty Year Journey from World's Fair to World Stage - Paperback

by Michael Luis (Author)

Century 21 City traces the trajectory of Seattle's rise to prominence, as it invented a modern economy that could thrive in an isolated, misty corner of the map. The quiet town on Puget Sound now hosts world-leading companies and has become a magnet for talent from every continent.

In the 1950s, Seattle was a minor-league city, with an economy that had changed little since the Klondike Gold Rush. The Century 21 Exhibition, Seattle's 1962 World's Fair, aimed to shake the region out of its economic torpor, embracing a vision of technology and globalization. Over the past fifty years, that vision has been realized, as Seattle has transformed itself into one of the nation's most successful metropolitan areas.

In describing Seattle's evolution, Century 21 City provides a detailed look at the larger question of how metropolitan areas turn themselves into the essential building blocks of the global economy. Grounding Seattle's story in contemporary social science, Century 21 City provides a case study of regional development that will prove valuable to cities as they find their own paths through a challenging environment.

Century 21 City is the first comprehensive history of Seattle written since the mid-1970s. The city and region have changed dramatically since then, and this book tells the story of that change. While it focuses on the economic evolution of the region, Century 21 City also outlines the political landscape as it shifted from a Seattle-centric to a multi-centric region. It describes, for the first time, the regional leadership model that has emerged and allows Seattle to project itself confidently into the larger world.

Written in a brisk, engaging style, Century 21 City use data and specific industry examples to flesh out the important themes of metropolitan economics and politics. The lay reader and practitioner alike will gain a sharper understanding of what it means to be a vibrant, metropolitan region in an ever-changing world economy.

Author Biography

Michael Luis is a consultant in public affairs and communications, based in the Seattle area. For the past 25 years he has been involved with a wide range of issues and leadership efforts that have affected the growth and development of the economy of the Seattle area. He has seen the story of Seattle's economic evolution from the inside and has worked closely with the key individuals and organizations that have shaped that evolution. Starting out as a staff member at the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce in the late 1980s, and continuing through his consulting practice, Mr. Luis had the unique opportunity to work with business leaders from both long established industries and newly emerging ones, as well as political and civic leaders at all levels. He has conducted economic and policy research on a wide range of topics and has a deep understanding of the fundamentals of the Puget Sound area economy. In addition, He has worked with numerous cities in North America and Europe and has engaged in economic research involving regions around the world. He began his career managing the Export Task Force, the bipartisan free-trade caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2012 Mr. Luis was elected to the city council of Medina, Washington, and will serve as mayor for the 2012-2013 term. He has been in leadership roles in several non-profit and community groups in the Seattle area. He holds a master's degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University and a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Washington. With a family history in the Northwest stretching back to the 1890s, Mr. Luis has a deep appreciation for what makes the Seattle area unique. He is married and lives in Medina, Washington, where his three children are now the fourth generation to live in the family home on Evergreen Point Road.