A week ago, Donald Trump moved into the White House for the second time, and the radical shift in US politics has already become abundantly clear. What factors drove voters in the industrial heartlands to lean Republican?
What do people in the industrial heartlands of the US Midwest actually think about politics? And what are the actual needs and concerns of these communities?
In light of the recent geo-economic shifts accelerated by the pandemic, global crises and conflicts, and the ongoing efforts to tackle the climate crisis, one group is facing particular challenges: The middle class in the former industrial heartlands across the US and Europe.
What are successful approaches and polices to the most pressing issues for German and US cities? How can cities and international networks strengthen the transatlantic partnership?
City leaders share the same worries: Climate change, rising inequality, housing insecurity and health inequity, to name a few. They talk about working towards progress. But how can a city’s development in these areas really be assessed?
Does Germany struggle with its unhoused populations the same way as cities in the United States do? What can the U.S. learn from Germany when it comes to improving public transportation infrastructure?