For the past few years, The Philadelphia Citizen has produced a podcast based on two basic ideas — phrases you’ll hear a lot if you tune in to How to Really Run a City.
Here’s one:
“There are three political parties: Republicans, Democrats, and mayors.”
The idea? If you’re a mayor, you’re representing and living among the people you serve — and you must answer to them, not to your party.
The other:
“Mayors get shit done.” Self-explanatory.
Podcast co-hosts Michael Nutter and Kasim Reed are former mayors of Philadelphia and Atlanta, respectively; they often talk policy and service with municipal leaders from across the country. As of this week, they are joining forces with yet another former mayor, GT Bynum of Tulsa, OK, for a first-of-its-kind Public Service and Policy Initiative, founded by Nutter, within the Weitzman School of Design and Institute for Urban Research, both at the University of Pennsylvania.
Reed and Bynum are new to the program and for the fall semester, will serve as its inaugural “Impact Scholars,” working with students and researchers to further the initiatives they began as mayors, to transform their experience into guidance, and to serve as mentors to students who may choose to pursue careers as the next generation of leaders in government. Their goal: Make cities better while educating. A win-win.
One more thing they’ll be doing: Hosting a live recording of How to Really Run a City with an audience of Penn students.
MAYORS AND WHAT THEY DO
