We know this is a difficult time for cities. Foot traffic has slowly returned to downtowns, but they may never be as bustling as they were back in 2019. Crime and homelessness remain issues that toppled mayors in last November’s elections, while federal aid is not likely to be as robust as it was in former years.
None of this should suggest that progress isn’t happening. The heart of New Haven, Conn., was ripped apart during the urban renewal era of the 20th century, but now new projects are stitching together downtown with neglected neighborhoods, creating spaces for parks and other recreational opportunities along the way. You can read about these efforts in Jared Brey’s feature on p. 28.
The New Haven projects are being led by City Hall but getting lots of help from business and community groups. The value of partnerships has been demonstrated on a larger scale in Pittsburgh, which has successfully changed itself from America’s “Steel City” to a leader in life sciences, AI and advanced manufacturing. The groundwork for Pittsburgh’s contemporary economy was led by its major universities, but they received enormous support from local foundations in terms of funding research and reinventing neglected spaces for commercial use. Alan Greenblatt tells that story on p. 20.
These are just two examples of the ways that local leaders find new solutions to problems that are part of the legacies they inherit. One lesson I’ve learned from a career working with government officials is that every generation’s solution can be the next generation’s problem. Approaches that seemed like good ideas at the time can turn out to be long-lasting mistakes, while the simple passage of time means that no strategy will work forever.
Cities need to be constantly innovating in response to changing populations and economic conditions. That’s certainly true today, as the post-pandemic shape and purpose of cities are still very much works in progress.
Civic leaders — both inside and outside of government — can work together to address new challenges. It’s not easy. Even when people are unhappy with the status quo, they may still resist change. But demonstrating success is a great way to win people over.
And creating partnerships means that once programs or projects are successful, there will be plenty of people around to brag about them.
