On May 10, 2012, the Brookings Institution and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) hosted a day-long symposium examining new growth theory as a tool for assessing the impact of art and culture on the U.S. economy, including the theory that cities play a major role in facilitating economic growth. The keynote speech was given by Edward Glaeser, Professor and Director, Taubman Center for State and Local Government, Harvard University. Mr Glaeser spoke on "Cities, New Growth Theory, and the Arts."