Living Cities partners promote national collaboration to solve urban problems

$85M effort in five cities harnesses local leadership to improve the lives of low-income residents.DETROIT – Like many older, industrial American cities, Newark, N.J., is trying to redefine itself. Its schools have struggled for years and are run by a state-appointed superintendent. Decades of disinvestment have taken a toll on neighborhoods and a contentious political environment added to the challenges. Until recently, the mayor’s office didn’t interact with the school superintendent’s office, even though they served the very same families, said Monique Baptiste, project manager of