Well before the Great Recession, the U.S. economy was on shaky footing, with many of its fastest-growing metros fueled more by consumption and amenities than by production and exports. If the nation as a whole transitions to a healthier economy, the physical landscape of metropolitan areas may change as well. This What Works framing paper explores the interconnections between the built environment and the economy at the metropolitan scale, examining the relationships of urban form with three vital aspects of modern metropolitan economies: globalization and the production of tradable goods and services; technological innovation; and the low carbon imperative. This framing paper is part of a series of field-building research agendas produced under the What Works Collaborative. More information can be found on the What Works Collaborative web page