At the end of a daylong roundtable on urban and metropolitan policy, President Barack Obama announced a national conversation on cities and metropolitan areas and an interagency review of how federal policies impact local communities.
Participants in the July 13 roundtable, hosted by the White House Office of Urban Affairs and Domestic Policy Council, included Secretary Hilda Solis of the Department of Labor, Secretary Shaun Donovan of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Secretary Ray LaHood of the Department of Transportation, as well as, among other elected leaders, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels.
Obama stated that administration officials will visit cities and metropolitan areas to engage local communities and examine potential ways to strengthen federal and local government partnerships.