Washington, D.C. — A new episode of the CitiesSpeak podcast from the National League of Cities (NLC) features Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker in conversation with NLC CEO and Executive Director Clarence Anthony. Recorded live at the Congressional City Conference, the episode explores how local leaders are tackling housing shortages and affordability and transportation challenges while delivering real results for residents.
The CitiesSpeak podcast features conversations with leaders and policy experts on the biggest issues facing America’s cities, towns and villages.
During the episode, Mayor Parker reflects on her personal journey into public service and how her lived experience shapes her leadership, offering perspective on how local leaders can stay grounded, lead authentically and use government as a tool to expand opportunity. The conversation highlights housing affordability and supply, public-private partnerships, transit access and the importance of collaboration across sectors to move communities forward.
Highlights from the Conversation
On staying authentic and leading with lived experience:
“I learned that all of the pain that I experienced… was supposed to happen so that I would know the fight for the next generation.” — Mayor Cherelle Parker, Philadelphia, PA
On the role of government in creating opportunity:
“Politics is simply a tool that is used to decide how scarce resources get allocated. If you are poor in your politics, your people will suffer.” — Mayor Cherelle Parker, Philadelphia, PA
On addressing the housing crisis with bold, comprehensive solutions:
“Give me the opportunity… and I’m going to create a plan so that we can create and preserve 30,000 units of housing in the city of Philadelphia.” — Mayor Cherelle Parker, Philadelphia, PA
Listen to the full conversation, also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.
About CitiesSpeak
Each episode of NLC’s podcast, CitiesSpeak with Clarence Anthony, dives into a critical issue facing local leaders today, featuring conversations with elected leaders and policy experts from across the country. The podcast is a relaxed and entertaining resource for local policymakers looking for ideas and information to bring back to their communities. The podcast is hosted by NLC CEO and Executive Director Clarence Anthony, who previously served as mayor of South Bay, Florida for two decades.
New, episodes of CitiesSpeak are available on all major podcasting platforms and on YouTube. If you have feedback for the show or ideas for future guests, email us at citiesspeakpodcast@nlc.org. Happy listening!
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