{"id":19532,"date":"2026-05-19T13:28:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T11:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.progressives-zentrum.org\/en\/?post_type=publication&#038;p=19532"},"modified":"2026-07-01T10:32:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T08:32:51","slug":"shifting-the-tide-through-local-leadership-insights-from-the-industrial-heartlands","status":"publish","type":"publication","link":"https:\/\/www.progressives-zentrum.org\/en\/publication\/shifting-the-tide-through-local-leadership-insights-from-the-industrial-heartlands\/","title":{"rendered":"Shifting the Tide through Local Leadership \u2013 Insights from the Industrial Heartlands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:75%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the fifth episode of our &#8220;Talking Progress&#8221; series, we put the spotlight on the crucial role of local governance. Looking at the Industrial Heartlands in both the US and Germany, we explore how local governments shape the day-to-day lives of citizens, and why delivering reliable answers on the ground is the most effective remedy against the populist radical-right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This episode brings the key insights from our closing conference, \u201cHeartlands: Navigating Rearmament, Recarbonisation and Realignment\u201d (December 2025), straight to your ears. We feature a high-level Mayors&#8217; Panel where Steve Patterson (Mayor of Athens, Ohio) and Dr Eckart W\u00fcrzner (Lord Mayor of Heidelberg) share their concrete success stories and strategies for achieving a Just Transition. Chair: Claire Ainsley (Director of the Project on Center-Left Renewal at the Progressive Policy Institute)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Key talking points in this episode:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Why local authorities are the true powerhouses of democracy and drivers of structural change.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to win over local communities by demonstrating the tangible, financial benefits of the green transition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The vital role of subnational diplomacy and transatlantic city-to-city cooperation in tackling global uncertainties.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The essay by Steve Patterson that is featured in this episode may be found <a href=\"https:\/\/www.industrial-heartlands.com\/buried-villages-fragile-democracies-coal-community-and-the-unsteady-politics-of-the-climate-transition\/\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Update:<\/strong> John Austin recently reflected on this conversation over on his Substack. In his compelling post, &#8220;Keeping Democracy\u2019s Flame Alive Through Local Action,&#8221; he also points to the Hungarian elections in April as a real-world example of how local leadership can step up and stop authoritarianism in its tracks. <a href=\"https:\/\/heartlandstransformationnetwork.substack.com\/p\/keeping-democracys-flame-alive-through\">Check it out here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"BorlabsCookie _brlbs-cb-default\"><div class=\"_brlbs-content-blocker\"> <div class=\"_brlbs-default\"> <p>Click on the button to load the content from open.spotify.com.<\/p> <p><a class=\"_brlbs-btn\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-unblock role=\"button\">Load content<\/a><\/p> <\/div> <\/div><div class=\"borlabs-hide\" data-borlabs-cookie-type=\"content-blocker\" data-borlabs-cookie-id=\"default\"><script type=\"text\/template\">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<\/script><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This episode is narrated by Jan Kjell Lange, with contributions by Milan Maushart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This podcast is produced in the context of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.industrial-heartlands.com\/\">Transatlantic Dialogue on the Industrial Heartlands: Shaping the Future<\/a> project. A project by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.progressives-zentrum.org\/\">Das Progressive Zentrum<\/a> and distinguished partners at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.progressivepolicy.org\/\">The Progressive Policy Institute<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/global.georgetown.edu\/georgetown_units\/bmw-center-for-german-and-european-studies\">Georgetown University\u2019s BMW Center for German and European Studies<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/globalaffairs.org\/\">Chicago Council on Global Affairs<\/a>, and with the support of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwk.de\/Navigation\/EN\/Home\/home.html\">German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/3gfdKikOTFzJgBqGnEz8Ni\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.progressives-zentrum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/250128_DPZ_Industrial-Heartlands_Talking-Progress_Podcast_Cover.jpg\" alt=\"Coverbild des Podcastreihe &quot;Talking Progress&quot; von Das Progressive Zentrum\" class=\"wp-image-36570\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fe48e5de wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/3gfdKikOTFzJgBqGnEz8Ni\">Podcastseries<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover is-light alignfull\" style=\"min-height:304px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-light-grey-background-color has-background-dim-90 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.progressives-zentrum.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/dpz_2022_claim_EN_positiv_72dpi.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12348\" width=\"578\" height=\"57\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center alignsmall has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">We develop and debate progressive ideas and bring together leading actors who turn thoughts into action. Our think tank\u2019s goal: making the just transformation a reality. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.progressives-zentrum.org\/en\/about-us\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1847\">\u25b8 Learn more<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How can structural transformation in former industrial regions be managed in a way that fosters economic resilience, climate action, and democratic trust?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","tags":[419,388],"class_list":["post-19532","publication","type-publication","status-publish","hentry","tag-hausblog-2","tag-talking-progress"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.1 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Shifting the Tide through Local Leadership \u2013 Insights from the Industrial Heartlands - Das Progressive Zentrum - EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.progressives-zentrum.org\/en\/publication\/shifting-the-tide-through-local-leadership-insights-from-the-industrial-heartlands\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Shifting the Tide through Local Leadership \u2013 Insights from the Industrial Heartlands\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How can structural transformation in former industrial regions be managed in a way that fosters economic resilience, climate action, and democratic trust?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.progressives-zentrum.org\/en\/publication\/shifting-the-tide-through-local-leadership-insights-from-the-industrial-heartlands\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Das Progressive Zentrum - 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