“We can’t sit around and wait for the Federal government,” said Joe Reardon, former Mayor of Kansas City, Kansas. In the above video interview, Reardon refers to the idea that a city needs to ensure that its infrastructure supports the needs of its citizens. At the same time, he stresses the importance of regional cooperation to economic development; cities working with cities and the greater region to create a bigger economic pie for all.

The challenges the Kansas City area faces are unique in that the invisible political border not only includes city and county lines, but state lines. In one sense, it is the personal relationships, like his with the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, that transcend these borders and can overcome divides; whether political or digital.

He explains that economic development is not about spending money, but it is about understanding assets that a city has and leveraging those assets to create needed infrastructure. He calls fiber essential infrastructure for the future and for improving the quality of life.

In this context, he talks about the early role Google Fiber is playing in transforming the Kansas City region. He suggests the fiber platform becomes the opportunity for creation and innovation that haven’t been there before.

Interestingly, the early success of Google Fiber is due to the grassroots effort at the neighborhood level. At this same time, this success also hinges on the regional effort it took to win the Google Fiber project.

2013 Broadband Communities Summit coverage brought to you by the Matrix Design Group and M3 Multifamily Media Management.