Mayors Matter

“History will say we are living in a time more transformational than the industrial revolution. And as that economy has shifted, so many people have been left behind,” said Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan at the opening “Mayors Matter” panel hosted by The Hill and moderated by Editor-at-Large Steve Clemons at the St. Regis Hotel in downtown Washington that included five other of the nation’s leading Mayors: Topeka, Miami, Kansas City, Fort Worth, and Rochester Hills, Michigan. Mayor Brant of Rochester Hills is also President of the US Conference of Mayors who were simultaneously meeting in Washington. The event was sponsored by AARP and thus an emphasis on re-training and re-skilling the 50 plus for a productive place in the future of work.

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In town to discuss inclusion in its many dimensions and also generational inclusion, the common thread was community – the responsibility of communities to come together to solve problems by passing the political paralysis in Washington as they face local and regional challenges. What strengths does the 50-plus community bring to healthy communities? And which cities are taking the building blocks they have and reinventing themselves?