By examining 100 State of the City addresses given by mayors in big cities and small cities, Fast Company has put together a list of the top 10 most important issues, as mentioned by the mayors themselves, that cities need to focus on and resolve in order to make the country’s urban centers as strong as possible.
Economic development was the number one issue on the list and was mentioned in three-quarters of State of the City speeches. Cities are where the jobs are and a growing number of cities are attempting to make it easier for entrepreneurs to not only start a business, but grow it, as well. Cities are often seen as the front line of innovation, so the fact that 75 percent of mayors mentioned economic development in their speeches is no surprise.
Number two on the list of most important issues facing today’s cities is public safety, mentioned in 70 percent of mayoral speeches. While cities may often times be at the forefront of innovation, the sheer density of their population also tends to lead to more crime. In fact, the short-term homicide numbers are actually trending upward, despite overall crime being at its lowest point in decades.
Budgets (52 percent of speeches), infrastructure (48 percent), and education (42 percent) rounded out the top five. For Fast Company’s complete list, follow the link below.
