The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2022

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 25 Pittsburgh’s former mayor describes the city’s transition from its heavy industrial past to a sustainable future. BY WI L L I AM PEDUTO O nce a smoky industrial city, described as “hell with the lid off” by journalist James Parton in 1868, Pittsburgh has experienced a transformation into a 21st-century metropolis and leader in sustainability and technological inno- vation. While the impact of climate change and injustice is felt locally by members of our communities—for instance, in how they deal with increased flooding or how disadvantaged neighborhoods have not experienced the same type of investment in sustainable solutions like expanded tree canopies—globally focused solutions will be required to address these major issues. In recent years, Pittsburgh has benefited from partner- ships and mutual learning with other cities around the world, especially locales that share our industrial past and our sustain- able future. In collaboration with the Sister Cities Association of Pittsburgh, my administration’s work to bolster Pittsburgh’s relationships with international cities has transcended the more ceremonial model of past Sister Cities relationships. Instead, our efforts have led to tangible action to address issues such as climate change, food systems, social equity and economic diversification. Shifting from Ceremony to Action In 2019, Pittsburgh and the city of Aarhus, which is the second-largest city in Denmark, advanced a clean energy agreement. The agreement formalized the cities’ relationship as former industrial bastions that have reinvented themselves as “higher education hubs attracting a young and educated workforce and creating an innovative business environment.” Both municipalities are on track to achieve lofty climate action The Benefits of International Partnerships William Peduto served as the 60th mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 2014 to 2021. During this time, he worked to modernize municipal government and invest in critical infrastructure. He also became an interna- tional leader in action to combat climate change. FOCUS ON SUBNATIONAL DIPLOMACY YANNBLINDSALIDA