How to Really Run a City powered by Accelerator for America – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Chicago’s late, legendary first African-American mayor, Harold Washington propelled his charisma and grassroots support to topple his city’s legendary machine and remake its government — a story brilliantly told in Punch 9 For Harold Washington, which The Citizen screened on the opening night of the Ideas We Should Steal Festival last month.  

What can Philadelphia today take away from Washington’s political courage in decades past?

How to Really Run A City hosts former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter, along with The Citizen’s Larry Platt, spoke with filmmaker Joe Winston and New Yorker writer/Macarthur “genius” Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor explored that question in a live taping of the podcast. 

“Fairer is harder,” Reed told the audience, “if you want a bold, inclusive form of politics, it’s just harder…all of us have got to show up.”

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!

"Well, guys,” Citizen Co-founder Larry Platt starts, “let’s have a little therapy session. What the hell just happened?”

On this special episode of How To Really Run A City, former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter get together just days after the election to hash out how they’re feeling and what they think turned the tide to President-elect Donald Trump.

Despite a “painful, painful map” and impending federal policies that target vulnerable communities, Reed and Nutter offer a few rays of hope.

“Presidents have very little power to reach into cities,” Nutter observed. 

“Make [the president] staff these efforts,” Reed agreed. “It would take four years just to staff up.” 

Join us for this episode about the power of good leaders in our cities — something needed with increasing urgency in this country. Remember to subscribe 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!

What is behind the surprising levels of Black support for (now felon) Donald J. Trump? According to bestselling author, public intellectual and “hip hop” professor Michael Eric Dyson, it's the result of a slew of misconceptions, as well as folks not understanding how government actually works in our lives. "It's an indictment of our side," Dyson said. 

On this episode, Dyson and our mayors have a few words of advice for President Biden on how to really beat Donald Trump. Check out the first of a special two-part series with the ever insightful, ever entertaining Dr. Michael Eric Dyson. 

Listen, subscribe, spread the word! And visit The Philadelphia Citizen to find more solutions to city problems.

Balancing free speech rights with public safety and order requires a deft touch. On our latest episode of "How to Really Run a City," Mayors Nutter and Reed are joined by one of their protégés: Richmond, Virginia Mayor Levar Stoney.

From protests to economic growth to Mayor Stoney's history-making removal of Confederate monuments, we dig into the successes and challenges Richmond has recently faced. 

True leadership is a lonely venture, Nutter says. But Mayor Stoney is leading with joy, Reed reminds us, and that may be the secret sauce to really running a city.

Fort Worth, Texas mayor Mattie Parker won her second term with a whopping 70 percent of the vote. On this episode, our hosts--former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and The Citizen's co-founder Larry Platt--talk with this superstar mayor about managing a city-wide boom while maintaining a small-town feel. 

Mayor Parker believes that what sets her apart is not actually needing this gig, which frees her up to pass commonsense policies. "If it costs me my job, great. I just want to live in Fort Worth and raise my family." It's an attitude and drive that has earned her overwhelming support from her city.

What lessons can Philly learn? Listen and find out. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

On this episode, former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, and The Philadelphia Citizen co-founder Larry Platt bring on two esteemed guests for an in-depth conversation about one of the most important topics of our time: wealth inequality.

After chatting about the recent State of the Union address, as well as the stakes for cities in the upcoming election, our hosts invite Della Clarke, CEO of Philadelphia’s Enterprise Center and JP Morgan Chase’s Michele Lawrence to discuss the power of investing in Black and Brown entrepreneurs. "This is what the podcast is all about," observed Reed. It's about getting past safety net politics and figuring out how we really grow into the future.

Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, and The Philadelphia Citizen co-founder Larry Platt welcome Charles Blow, columnist for The New York Times and author of the 2021 book The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto and last year’s companion HBO documentary, South to Black Power.

In a wide-ranging and impassioned conversation, Blow makes the case for a type of new Black Power movement by calling for a Black migration to the South (he moved to Atlanta, GA, four years ago) and opining on the diminishing Democratic Party loyalty of Black men in America. The mayors and their guest dive deep into the risks run when politicians focus on philosophical debates over more day-to-day issues like jobs and the economy.

Check out the episode here, then subscribe so that you never miss one!

On the third and final installment of our conversation with legendary Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey, our co-hosts hit him with the questions about policing we all have on our minds: What separates good technology from dangerous tech? What role can data play? And has the power of police unions gone too far?

If you missed parts I and II of this timely conversation, be sure to check them out. Then, like, share, and subscribe, so that you don't miss a single episode!

Legendary Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey -- who served in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, where he oversaw a 28 percent drop in homicides -- returns for a powerful conversation about public safety, and how keeping cities safe is a job that goes beyond fire and police departments. 

For more great solutions stories, subscribe to this podcast and check out The Philadelphia Citizen.

We heard from the best of 'em this year. From thought-provoking policy proposals to gut-busting anecdotes, check out host Larry Platt's hand-selected highlights in this special end-of-the-year edition. Then catch up on any episodes you might have missed to get more of former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter and the civic leaders that really shape our lives. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss a single episode in 2024.