Mayors use speeches to communicate a vision for the city and a plan of action for the future. They discuss successes and challenges, and give the community a sense of what the administration has accomplished. They can also highlight issues that need additional attention.
In his first State of the City address as mayor, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka celebrated his administration’s bold accomplishments and looked to the future of a resilient, diverse, and inclusive city. Read the full speech here.
Cities are implementing blight elimination initiatives to revitalize neighborhoods and build more housing. These efforts are often a response to the national housing crisis, which has resulted in more families facing homelessness and displacement. Blight elimination has been a major theme in a number of mayors’ speeches, with the topic appearing in 20 percent of these addresses in 2018.
Some mayors are discussing federal policies and expressing views on immigration policy in their speeches. Others are highlighting ways that local governments can solve national problems, such as addressing homelessness and reducing incarceration rates.
Many mayors are discussing the impact of climate change on their communities. Some are reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, while others are encouraging public transportation use to reduce traffic congestion. Others are promoting ridesharing services, which can reduce vehicle usage and improve air quality. In 2019, the green energy and environment subtopic appeared in 57 percent of mayors’ speeches.