The Man Showing the Country What Makes Cities Work

Mayor Steve Benjamin is no stranger to having difficult conversations on a public scale. He got his start in politics as a student activist seeking to bring the Confederate flag down from the South Carolina statehouse.

In his new role as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, he speaks with and for 1,500 mayors about common challenges -- opioid addiction, homelessness, immigration and trade. In his town, Columbia, he is focused on the “three I's” of city life -- infrastructure, innovation and inclusion.

On this episode of "In the Arena," a podcast about public leadership, Benjamin talks about the things that make cities work at this "definitive moment" in the country's history.

Listen to the full interview below. You can also subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts  or Stitcher, or bookmark the "In the Arena" page.

 

 

Featured on This Episode:

• United States Conference of Mayors

 

Previous Guests:

• Kristen Cox, executive director of Utah Office of Management and Budget
• Acquanetta Warren, mayor of Fontana, Calif. 
• Greg Kischer, mayor of Louisville
• Themis Klarides, Connecticut House minority leader 
• Eric Garcetti, mayor of Los Angeles, Calif.
• Clay Jenkinson, humanities scholar

 

Future Guests:

• Nan Whaley, mayor of Dayton, Ohio
• Doug Burgum, governor of North Dakota