How to Really Run a City powered by Accelerator for America

A recent report by Harvard University's Opportunity Insights revealed a sorry statistic for Philadelphia: We are last in the nation for economic mobility. In other words, we have a lot to learn from other American cities. On this special episode of How To Really Run A City, Citizen Co-Founder Larry Platt and former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter and former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed pull out their favorite moments from the last year of the podcast that take on just this issue. From housing availability in Detroit to help for small business owners in Scranton, PA to 15-minute cities and unexpected employment programs in Cleveland, the mayors and changemakers from this episode are demonstrating how cities can unlock their immense power, and how city leaders can become facilitators while spreading goodwill along the way. Remember to subscribe to the podcast to keep up on all the latest episodes. And watch for new episodes on YouTube and Piksel+ as they become available. As cities go, so goes the nation!

Nashville, TN Mayor Freddie O'Connell was compelled to run for office on a simple principle. For too long, transit and infrastructure had been neglected by city officials. Upon winning his race in 2023, O'Connell's north star has been making it easier for Nashvillians to get around their city. "I don't know of a greater transit evangelist among the mayor fraternity than Mayor O'Connell," said Citizen Co-Founder Larry Platt on this week's episode. "My mom remembers a Nashville that still had streetcar lines," O'Connell told our podcast hosts, former Mayors Kasim Reed of Atlanta and Michael Nutter of Philly. "And then we ripped that all out. If you look at our old streetcar maps, we had a good transit system. I ran [for mayor] because I felt like we had priorities as a city that simply were not going to get addressed unless I forced the issue." Join us for a discussion during this year's Infrastructure Week centered on a blue city in a red state pulling every lever to reestablish customer-focused government and "trying every day to showcase that we've made the right choices" in infrastructure investment. But Mayor O'Connell isn't all work and no play down there in Nashville. He also moonlights as DJ Stay (he chose this nom de vinyl because "I want you to stay" in Nashville). "Our man says he's on the ones and twos," laughed Nutter, who knows a few things himself about spinning records. "I didn't have this on the bingo card for today," Reed said with a grin. Remember to subscribe to the podcast to keep up on all the latest episodes. And watch for new episodes on YouTube and Piksel+ as they become available. As cities go, so goes the nation!

When Denver, Colorado Mayor Mike Johnston isn't sparring with congressional Republicans over immigration (and being threatened with jail time), he's pushing his city to eliminate homelessness, continuing his crusade for high-quality, affordable education and inspiring Denverites to give five hours of volunteer service each month. "I love the Give5 Mile High program," said Citizen co-founder Larry Platt. "It's kind of the answer to Trumpism, right? All of us coming together in common purpose?" On this episode of How To Really Run A City, former Mayor Michael Nutter and former Mayor Kasim Reed, with Platt, join Mayor Johnston to dissect the initiatives that are making Denver a prosperous and communitarian city for all its citizens. "What I try to do is bind people," Johnston says. "I bind together people that are broken. I bind together people who have been pulled apart from each other. I feel like this is the work mayors are called to do." "And that's why we do this podcast," Reed says. "It is so important for people who care about this country to hear stories like yours." Join us for an energizing conversation about everyday citizens rising to meet the expectations of their city and charting a path out of the tribalism that grips the nation. Remember to subscribe to the podcast to keep up on all the latest episodes. Watch and follow new episodes on YouTube. As cities go, so goes the nation!

The AI revolution is upon us, and it will certainly have an impact on local governance. "Let's have an open conversation about its use," says this week's podcast guest, Rochelle Haynes, Managing Director of Bloomberg Philanthropies' What Works Cities initiative at Results for America. Haynes, who previously served as Chief of Staff at New York City's Department of Homeless Services, saw firsthand what happens when policy and politics clash. "A lot of fears out there are about losing jobs," she continued. "But we need to show people that this is about making your job more effective. The human touch is still needed. AI is just the tool to [streamline] the data and priorities for cities." Join us for an episode about what local leaders are doing to take advantage of the coming technology and, as Mayor Reed says, "really move the needle" on focused, effective governing. Remember to subscribe to the podcast to keep up on all the latest episodes. You can even watch the conversation play out on YouTube. As cities go, so goes the nation!

"Traditional license plate readers were developed in the 1950s and 60s," says this week's guest, Garrett Langley of Flock Safety. "But you can go into Flock and say I'm looking for a black Sedan with after-market tires and a dent on the left corner, and we will find that car." Former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter, along with Citizen Co-founder Larry Platt, chat with Langley about his innovative and cost-saving approach to public safety, which made national headlines last year by promptly apprehending a would-be Trump assassin and an Atlanta mass shooter. After being the victim of a robbery in his own neighborhood, Langley reimagined vehicle surveillance and built a company that operates alongside thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country. "I love citizen entrepreneurs who are in the civic problem-solving business," Platt told the mayors. "That's who this guy is." Join us for a deep dive into an idea that keeps cities safer while avoiding the typical pitfalls of street surveillance. Remember to subscribe to the podcast to keep up on all the latest episodes. You can even watch the conversation play out on YouTube. As cities go, so goes the nation!

In this episode, former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter, along with Citizen Co-founder Larry Platt, bring Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti onto the show. Cognetti is demonstrating how cities are blazing a way forward amidst the daily chaos spilling out of Washington, D.C. "This is where local matters," Cognetti says. "At the local level, we're nimble, we're able to try things that are harder at the state level, and definitely at the national level." "I think you're modeling a new way," says Platt. "You're in that mold of the efficient governing wing of the Democratic Party." Join us for this episode about "green shoots of encouragement" coming right from Scranton, PA. Remember to subscribe to the podcast to keep up on all the latest episodes. You can even watch the conversation play out on YouTube. As cities go, so goes the nation!

Years of acrimony and conflict in our national politics has unfortunately trickled down to cities, where disdain for civil servants — and each other — has had a chilling effect on the work needed to get things done. So what can we do about it? Former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter sat down with Diane Kalen-Sukra, a former city manager, current evangelist for political civility and author of Save Your City: How Toxic Culture Kills Community & What To Do About It — the perfect guest to explain how we can bring down the temperature of our political conversations … and what happens if we don't. "Incivility exists on a spectrum," Kalen-Sukra said, "but it leads to mobbing, harassment, then threats, then violence, and ultimately civil war." "Has there been an inflection point over the last 10, 15 years, where you saw an uptick in incivility?" Nutter asked. "And when we have a conversation about what happened," Reed interjected, "The President of the United States has traditionally been the exemplar of behavior and decorum. Donald Trump opened up a tear in the fabric of our society." "There's no question that our social fabric is unraveling right now," Kalen-Sukra responded. "And unless we address incivility intentionally, it is only going to escalate. It spreads like a contagion. Because civility is not about being nice. It's about having the backbone to boldly speak the truth, even in difficult situations." Also on this episode's Accelerator for America policy segment, the mayors discuss the role of bipartisanship in these times and the importance of "keeping the American team together." Remember to subscribe to the podcast to keep up on all the latest episodes. You can even watch the conversation play out on YouTube. As cities go, so goes the nation!

On the latest episode of our podcast with esteemed former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter, we are joined by two special guests. First, Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, President and CEO of Accelerator for America, the nation's preeminent city "do tank," and our dynamic new partner on this podcast. Second, Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Quinton Lucas, known affectionately to Kansas Citians as "Mayor Q." Lucas rose from experiencing homelessness to running Kansas City and he came into office with ambitious, fresh ideas. "I think good mayors find a way to remove barriers," Lucas told our hosts. Join us for this episode of hope that American cities can move the needle on economic mobility forward. And also a little discussion about the age-old rivalries of sports teams and BBQ recipes. Remember to subscribe to the podcast to keep up on all the latest episodes. You can even watch the conversation play out on YouTube. As cities go, so goes the nation!