This week on Smart City we'll examine cities in history and how their past shapes their future.

Ed Glaeser is our first guest, and he is always asking the question, "What makes cities work?" He is a prolific researcher at Harvard University's Department of Economics, and he has challenged the wisdom of the ambitions of shrinking cities to get bigger.

We'll also speak with Randy Gragg, who is the former Architecture and Urban design critic for Portland's daily newspaper, The Oregonian. He has been a close observer of that city's evolution to what is widely considered to be one of the nation's most successful cities. He is collaborating on a fantastic mash-up of art, architecture and urban design called City Dance in downtown Portland's public fountains designed by Lawrence Halprin.

This week on Smart City Richard Florida is our guest. He predicted the rise of the Creative Class, and now he says where you live is the most important decision you'll ever make. His latest book is called: "Who's Your City".

We'll also speak with Meg Cheever. Meg is the Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. She says parks are more important than ever to the physical and emotional well-being of urban dwellers. The Conservancy is hosting a conference called: Body and Soul, Parks and The Health of Great Cities.

Building smarter, more humane cities is the aim of all of our guests this week on Smart City.

Greg Fuson and Sandra Kulli are the people behind The Vine, an annual west coast gathering of creative architects, builders, thinkers and artists. Their topic at this year's Vine Conference is the nature of community.

We'll also speak with Ruth Otte and Clifford Young. Together they've produced an invaluable survey for urban enthusiasts that uncovers what people around the world like and dislike about their cities. Cliff is Senior Vice President for Ipsos Public Affairs and Ruth is the Executive Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Veolia Transportation.

Today on Smart City we're talking with people who have discovered new ways of attracting and retaining a creative community.

First we'll speak with Helen Johnson and Josh McManus. They lead a group called CreateHere, which focuses on the artists in their own backyard in Chattanooga, TN. Through an innovative series of grants, programs and projects, CreateHere is helping to build a thriving community for artists, artisans and creative entrepreneurs.

And we'll speak with Aly Khalifa of Gamil Design. He was looking for a way to unite the creative community of the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area of North Carolina. Taking inspiration from the world of open-source software, he co-founded Sparkcon.

Aly Khalifa, Owner, Gamil Design, Inc. and Co-Founder, Designbox was a panelist at the Urban Next Summit. He provided a clear structure for self-organizing that is used for SPARKcon a creative festival of sorts that integrates the exploration of technology, art, independent business and inclusivity. Could cities and other organizations use similar techniques to stimulate civic action? His presentation can be found below and if you would like be part of the next SPARKcon event it will be held this September in Raleigh, NC.

The Culture of Opportunity session at the Urban Next Summit focused on what it is that makes people perceive a city as a place where they can be successful. Eric Robertson, Chief Administrative Officer, Center City Commission and Co-Founder, New Path started the panel off by laying out the concept from an anthropologic perspective. What can each of us do to instill this culture in our cities?

See Eric's presentation to the Summit below and read the forum he will be kicking off on this subject on MyCity.

Today on Smart City we're talking about inclusiveness. Our guests today have found very different ways to bring the world together.

First we'll speak with Matt Harding. His original viral video, "Where The Hell is Matt?", has him dancing in far flung locations. He's just released his second video, which shows him dancing with people from all over the world.

And we'll speak with Daniel Iacofano and Susan Goltsman. They've written a new book called: "The Inclusive City: Design Solutions for buildings neighborhoods and Urban spaces". The book describes how city planners can create spaces where residents can not only live, but also participate.

This week on Smart City we'll speak with two people with their eye on the manufactured design of cities.

Lynn Osmond is the President of the Chicago Architecture Foundation. We'll find out why Chicago scored the number one spot in a recent report on the Top 10 U.S. Cities for design.

And we'll speak with Fritz Haeg. He's the author of the book Edible Estates. In it, he describes the process of transforming people's front lawns into a veritable bounty of edible greens.

Finding people and organizations to partner with often comes down to personal relationships - who you know. But is this the best way?

CEOs for Cities member and City Anchors Learning Network participant John Schaerer developed this piece on creating intentional institutional partnerships. Though the work was originally intended to be shared with the Learning Network group, we thought it important to share with the broader membership. The piece holds intrinsic value for anyone interested in finding new ways to partner in order to achieve big goals.



John Schaerer is the Director of Technology Development and Transfer at the Enterprise Center in Chattanooga. Any questions or comments regarding his Institutional Alignment piece should be directed to john-schaerer@utc.edu.

This week on Smart City we'll talk about two exciting ways that schools are connecting with communities.

Brian Schultz was a teacher in Chicago's public school system. His unconventional approach to teaching gave his students a new way to learn, and an opportunity to change their school for the better. He's written a book about his experience called "Spectacular Things Happen Along The Way."

And we'll speak with Steve Barlow. He's the Executive Director of the University Neighborhoods Development Corporation in Memphis. The UNDC is working with the University of Memphis to help the school participate in the life of its surrounding neighborhoods.