GMF Cities program head Bosacker: City leadership is challenging but rewarding
Steven Bosacker directs the GMF Cities program, which supports local-level policymakers and practitioners in North America and Europe by facilitating the transatlantic exchange of knowledge for building inclusive, sustainable, and globally engaged cities.
Before joining GMF, Bosacker was the principal for public sector and partnerships at Living Cities, where he focused on finding and furthering promising practices in large city governments to improve life for low-income residents. The public-sector innovation portfolio included projects such as City Accelerator, Civic Tech and Data Collaborative, and Racial Equity Here, an initiative devoted to implementing racial equity in city government operations.
Bosacker also served as the city coordinator for Minneapolis, where he championed accountability and transparency in municipal services. He was instrumental in advancing public-private cooperation, including the development of the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District, and he oversaw the implementation of Minneapolis’ 311 service. He created Results Minneapolis, a comprehensive management system that drove and tracked progress on long-term municipal goals.
We at Mayors of Europe had an opportunity to engage with Bosacker on a variety of topics within his expertise, from challenges facing local governments in the future to cooperation between European and American cities and rebuilding the cities of Ukraine.
Today’s global challenges affect cities, and addressing those challenges requires municipal involvement. From confronting climate change to fortifying democracy, cities and their residents are on the frontlines of problem-solving and innovation in transatlantic policies and practices. Mr. Bosacker, you at GMF recognize both potential and responsibility of cities, and both your personal devotion and your organization’s are very inspiring for all of us who are focused on the cities of future. Tell us about your key pillars in GMF Cities & Regions?
GMF Cities works to advance local policy and practices on global issues with cities through North America and Europe. We do this within four strategic directions or thematic guides: 1) further and fortify democracy 2) ensure agency and equity for all 3) promote justice in social, economic, and climate activities, and 4) drive entrepreneurship to social good.
Do you see enough collaborative leadership approach among local decisionmakers?
Given the complexity of 21st century problems, our theory of change in cities involves, even requires, cross-sector collective action around a shared mission, recognizing the importance of public sector involvement if the goal is to achieve scale and systems change, driving private sector involvement and investment toward social good, and spreading innovative practices to cities using creative approaches and ideally the sharing of real-time mistakes and successes.
What bridges built and coalitions among American and European cities you are proud of?
Everything GMF Cities does involves using a transatlantic lens to solve local problems and advance the learning needed to build great cities, so we are fortunate to foster coalitions and international partnerships every single day. That said, in 2020 we launched a new network (during the height of the pandemic) of City Directors of International Affairs (CDIA) that took off like wildfire and today boasts a membership of nearly 75 cities from 26 countries. These directors coordinate all the international acitivities of their respective cities in this globally connected world. The network convenes virtually about every six weeks and tackles topics ranging from relations with China to managing migration at a local level to the mapping of foreign direct investment in cities.
One of your priorities at GMF Cities is Ukraine and you are advocating for starting to think about recovery and reconstruction of Ukranian cities now. Your Modern Marshall Plan for Ukraine is all about it, tell us what are it’s key elements?
GMF is focusing on four policy areas in our efforts toward rebuilding Ukraine: 1) how to design war insurance to de-risk private investment in the face of security challenges 2) how to leapfrog into a green recovery, focusing on energy transformation 3) how to use frozen Russian assets and possibly seize them, and 4) how to ensure accountability and incentivize governance and anti-corruption reforms while also ensuring civil society participation.
How can European cities contribute as peers to Ukranian municipal decision makers?
GMF Cities is most focused on advancing a green Marshall Plan that empowers cities and civil society. Building back Ukraine’s cities will be a massive task requiring financial but also technical and policy assistance. Many European cities are able to provide invaluable ideas and expertise in the area of sustainable infrastructure, and should. Many are already deeply involved in providing such help.
One of the initiatives that would contribute to sucessful implementation of the Modern Marshall Plan will be Ukraine-U.S. Cities Rebuilding Tour focusing on Sustainability, Energy-Efficiency and Inclusion. What outcomes you are aiming for?
There is political and civic will in Ukrainian cities to rebuild sustainably and green. GMF would like assure the continued support and assistance from the U.S. generally and from U.S. cities specifically, and is proposing a two-week study tour involving cross-sector representatives from 10 Ukrainian cities to visit six or seven U.S. cities to learn about and examine directly just and democratic energy and climate innovations. With the passing of unprecendented U.S. energy and infrastructure legislation in 2022, U.S. cities can share lessons around accessing and absorbing government funds and private investment around climate projects in record time, a challenge that Ukrainian local authorities will face once reconstruction grants, loans, and investments start flowing.
What would be your message to all Mayors across Europe?
City leadership is indeed challenging but also so rewarding. It is the level of government that continues to be the most trusted by residents, therefore heightening the big responsibility for competent and courageous governing and accountability. More and more people are looking to cities as innovators and problem-solvers on issues of global importance. It is critical that local elected officials be bold and utilize their full authority to step up to the vast needs of their communities.
