Citiwire.net

Welcome to Citiwire.net! Since the days of Jefferson, active federal government interest in cities has been a kind of unnatural act. But the Obama era is bringing change, both domestically, and now, quite surprisingly, globally. MarySue Barrett, writing from Chicago, reflects on visits by top federal officials and the emerging on-the-ground coordination of historically “silo’ed” departments as they work in America’s regions. … My column deals with the international side–the first UN World Habitat Day ever to be held in the United States occurred in Washington last week, with an amazing array of not just domestic but top level foreign policy officials enthusiastically participating. (A sad and alarming note: the event was almost totally blacked out by American newspapers and wire services–an attitude one might describe as superior insularity, preoccupied with our too-often petty political quarrels).