What makes cities successful? It’s a question we ask every week here on Smart City. And this week we have two authorities from the University of Chicago to address that topic – one with a very local view and the other with a global outlook.

Sean Safford has studied the decline of Rust Belt cities and found that particular kinds of social networks were key to a city’s ability to renew.

Saskia Sassen has studied global cities and concluded that corporate headquarters are less important to a city than are globe-trotting consultants.

Smart City is a syndicated, weekly hour-long public radio talk show that takes an in-depth look at urban life: the people, places, ideas and trends that affect us all. Host Carol Coletta talks with national and international public policy experts, economists, business leaders, artists, developers, planners and others on the pulse of city life for a penetrating discussion on urban issues.

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