Nancy McFarlane: I was honored to represent our city and mayors across the U.S. in an interview with the BBC titled ‘Cities of the Future.’ Our city’s residents know that Raleigh is the best place to live , work and play in the U.S. and, evidently, word has spread across the globe. During the interview I answered questions on what issues and opportunities surround our fast-growing, rapidly evolving city:
- What should an ideal city be like?
- What is the importance of diversity in a city?
- How do we make cities sustainable?
- How do we deal with increasing urbanization?
I was joined by Jamie Lerner, mayor of Curitiba, Brazil, and Lisa Scaffidi, mayor of Perth, Australia. Curitiba is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Parana. The city of 1.76 million people is considered a Latin American cultural, political and economic center. Perth is the capital and largest city in the Australian state of Western Australia. An estimated 1.83 million live in the metropolitan area. Perth came in ninth in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s list of the world’s most livable cities, which was issued in August.
This interview is an important reminder that our city plays a critical role in the international arena. Decisions we make today, as we continue to grow, will determine our long-term economic vitality. We must continue to invest in Raleigh’s future without losing what makes our city special.
The interview was aired at 9:00 a.m. on Dec. 28 on WUNC Radio and will air on other BBC broadcasts across the world.