How to Really Run a City powered by Accelerator for America

The Philadelphia Citizen

Former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, and Philadelphia Citizen co-founder Larry Platt talk about what it really takes to get sh*t done in cities on How to Really Run a City powered by Accelerator for America. New episodes twice monthly.

  1. 3D AGO

    A Political A*****e No More

    On this episode of How To Really Run A City, innovation in cities takes a backseat to a more pressing question: How do we find our way back to recognizing the humanity in one another? Our guest: Joe Walsh, a former Representative from Illinois. He was a self-described Tea Party arsonist, right-wing radio provocateur and mentor to Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk. All of that changed when Donald Trump rode down an escalator and completely captured the Republican Party.  “It was never this way with Reagan, with Bush, with old-man Bush, this is something completely different,” Walsh told our hosts, former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter and Citizen Co-founder Larry Platt. (Former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed was unable to attend.) Walsh’s public split from his party made him a target of MAGA loyalists, who to this day threaten him and his family. Still, he’s not backing down. “I helped to divide this country,” Walsh said. “People like me helped put us on this road. I have to live with that.” As a newly-minted Democrat, Walsh tours the country connecting with people from across the political spectrum. “Do you leave these conversations hopeful or less hopeful?” Platt asked. “I’m right down the middle,” Walsh said. “Half the folk out there are ready for a national divorce. They tell me, 'Joe, I want it to be peaceful, but we just can’t coexist anymore.’” Listen to this episode now for a passionate conversation about a return to civility and the true stakes of our national debate with a public figure who describes himself as a former “political asshole” trying to make amends. And for more from Walsh, join us at The Citizen’s 8th annual Ideas We Should Steal Festival, presented by Comcast NBCUniversal, where he will talk with former foe-turned-friend Fred Guttenberg, a gun rights activist who lost his daughter in the Parkland school shooting.  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!

    54 min
  2. SEP 25

    Detroit Is Back, Baby!

    When Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan took office in 2013, his city had just filed for the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.  Today, business is booming, crime has fallen to a 60-year low and it’s no understatement to say that Detroit is back. Mayor Duggan, now running for governor of his state as an Independent, joins former Mayors Michael Nutter and Kasim Reed, along with Citizen Co-founder Larry Platt on this episode of How To Really Run A City to roll up their sleeves and lift the hood of Detroit’s success. “The last time a [Detroit] City Council member was elected mayor was 1947,” Mayor Duggan told our hosts. “For the last 75 years, the city was going so badly that nobody wanted to vote for anyone who had been associated with it. My successor, who won the primary in a landslide, is president of City Council. It shows how much politics has changed. People are proud of their city government now.” “You decided to run as a White man for mayor of Detroit,” Reed said. “What were the mechanics of that decision?” “Sometimes I was the only White person in the room for six blocks around,” Duggan responded. “But I listened to very powerful stories. And it’s a funny thing, when you sit in people’s homes and break bread with them, what divides us fades to the background. The average Detroiter isn’t interested in us vs. them, they just want a better quality of life.” Join us for a powerful conversation about turning an entire city around, despite the challenges and barriers that had entrenched decades of decline. 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!

    42 min
  3. JUL 10

    Reformers are the Future of Cities

    “Just keep doing the next right thing, even though it’s hard.” This mantra has become a political north star for Scranton mayor and recurring How To Really Run A City guest (and sometimes host), Paige Cognetti. She knows that what drives a city forward is everyone doing their parts at all levels. “It’s the colleges and universities,” former Mayor Michael Nutter interjects. “It’s the corporate communities. It’s the committee people. It’s the block captains. Cities are living, breathing entities.” Cognetti and Nutter recently joined Citizen co-founder Larry Platt for a special live taping of the podcast at Philadelphia’s OpportUNITY Summit hosted by United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. It was a rousing conversation that included a lot of teasing of Nutter by Cognetti, but also included some high-minded reminders that the future of cities depends on practical local government reformers. “What can all of us do to move the [political] needle back to sanity?” Platt asked. “Tell the stories that reflect your reality,” Cognetti said. “Vote,” Nutter immediately answered. “Put down the phone, go to the voting booth and do your thing. Then you can get back to TikTok. Better yet, make a video about how you voted!” Join us for an uplifting live conversation about civic duty and the motivations of true city changemakers. 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!

    32 min
  4. MAY 1

    “Governtainment” in City Hall

    Donald Trump’s tariff policies pose an economic threat to Rochester Hills, Michigan — and Republican Mayor Bryan Barnett has not been shy about speaking out. “More robots are made in my city than in any other city in North America,” Barnett told Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter, along with Citizen Co-founder Larry Platt, in the latest episode of the podcast. “Our two biggest trading partners — and it’s not even close — are Canada and Mexico.” Barnett has held onto the mayoral office for an astounding 18 years — in no small part because of his unique style of “governtainment,” as well as the realization that cities are firmly in the business of customer service. “Our competition isn’t who you think: It’s Amazon,” Barnett says. “If you can get something delivered to your house from across the world in 24 hours, but it takes four or five visits to city hall to get a dog license, people say this just doesn’t make any sense. Most mayors are more practical than political, so while I am Republican, most of my day-to-day work is solving problems for our community.” “What you’re doing is good for the soul of the country,” Reed tells him. Join us for a conversation about getting shit done, all while entertaining your city along the way. Remember to subscribe to the podcast to keep up on all the latest episodes. You can watch highlights from this episode or view the full podcast right on YouTube. As cities go, so goes the nation!

    44 min

Ratings & Reviews

4.3
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, and Philadelphia Citizen co-founder Larry Platt talk about what it really takes to get sh*t done in cities on How to Really Run a City powered by Accelerator for America. New episodes twice monthly.

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