Cities Stepping Up: Urban Diplomacy as a New Tool of Foreign Policy?

Guests:

• Martin van der Pütten (Head of International Relations, City of Dortmund)
• Grant Ervin (Chief Resilience Officer, City of Pittsburgh)
• Kathy Risko (Exceutive Director, Sister Cities Association of Pittsburgh)

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Resetting  transatlantic relations will only work if cities are involved in the  process, argue the mayors of Dortmund and Pittsburgh. As cities on both  sides of the Atlantic are faced with similar challenges—from the  pandemic and structural change to digitization and climate  protection—local governments are working to take on these issues at the  grassroots level.

To  facilitate cooperation, cities like Pittsburgh and Dortmund are  promoting urban diplomacy (Städte-Diplomatie) as a way to permanently  integrate city leaders into the political process alongside national  governments.

At  this YTN event hosted in collaboration with the Atlantic Community, we  seek to delve deeper into the topic of urban diplomacy: What is it, and  why is it important? And what opportunities, but also challenges, does  it present?

Join us for a lively exchange, fresh ideas, and new contacts! #GMFYTN