About City to City
City to City is a national initiative designed to link leadership from one metropolitan area with another city/metro area. Leaders participate in a site visit to a designated location, engaging with and learning from leaders on the ground about strategies they are employing to advance their community on economic, social, and educational issues. Participants discover best practices and possible strategies that can be incorporated into on-going or emerging strategies in their home city.
City to City is an informal gathering of civic leaders, who are culturally diverse, from business, government and nonprofits and share a common interest in learning about successful models for change and development of the city. The other benefit is the networking that evolves by participating in the trip and the subsequent dialogues or collaborations that follow. The mission is to contribute to our ability to support economic and social growth, opportunity and well-being to the widest range of citizens who choose to live and work in the Greater Springfield area through the discovery of a shared vision. Our intent is not to build an organization, but to inform, enhance our learning and expose models of urban transformation.
The intent of the first City2City Greater Springfield visit to Winston-Salem and Greensboro, North Carolina was to stimulate thinking and foster new engagements in strengthening Springfield as the region’s economic and social hub. Participants decided to focus on the following learning tracks: local public education, economic development, arts & culture, public safety, and race & inclusion. The target was to have a minimum of 25 participants who are decision makers and civic leaders, seeking racial, gender and generational diversity.
Today, participants are carrying the message and lessons learned to their respective organizations in the Springfield metro area. The group is also determining if and how an ongoing initiative, born from the City2City Greater Springfield experience, might serve as a catalyst in creating a process that leads to a revitalized Springfield and region. Future City2City visits may become part of a culture of learning as Springfield and its leadership address challenges and develop a roadmap for progress.