ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Metropolitan economy

Okay kiddo, so you know how you go to school, and your friends go to different schools, and your parents go to work at different places? Well, all those places are part of something called a metropolitan area.

A metropolitan area is a big place where lots of people live and work, but it's not just one big city. It's made up of lots of different cities and towns that are all close to each other.

Now, inside that big metropolitan area, there's something called the metropolitan economy. That's just a fancy way of saying all the ways that people make money and spend money in that big area.

Some people have jobs where they make things, like cars or clothes. Other people have jobs where they help other people, like doctors or teachers. And some people have jobs where they sell things, like in a store or a restaurant.

And when all these people work and make money, they use that money to buy things they want or need, like houses, food, and clothes. And that helps the economy grow and get stronger.

So, the metropolitan economy is just all the people and jobs and money and things that go into making a big area work and grow. And it's important because when people have jobs and money and things they want, they can be happy and healthy and do fun things, like go to the park or the zoo or the movies.