Strong and inclusive mayors are filling the gaps in state and federal decision making

In an era of federal -and often state - legislative gridlock, the former Mayor of Salt Lake City, Ralph Becker writes that cities can be important for instituting positive change when other governments can no longer do so. Here he reflects on his own experience of revitalizing Salt Lake City's downtown, and on the leadership of cities in Kentucky, Indiana and Texas whose mayors have used principles of inclusivity and pragmatism to overcome challenges and to deliver positive change.