Who Shapes a City’s Climate Future?

Kresge Foundation’s PathBreakers video podcast asks who has power to shape what happens in a city. Its October 28 episode features New Orleans Deputy Mayor Jennifer Avegno on how community-level climate and health work meets city government. Watch the episode on YouTube; read Kresge’s episode overview.

Kresge describes a wider New Orleans series spanning community food systems, neighborhood-led green infrastructure and public health leadership. My take: a shared future needs more than a seat at the table—it needs clear ways for residents’ contributions to shape decisions, and clear accountability for what happens next.

How can cities connect neighborhood knowledge to public decisions without letting community input become a substitute for shared responsibility?