Whatever party you belong to, you have to admit that Barack Obama and Joe Biden should be an excellent team for American cities. It’s been a long time since American cities have had a federal partner who deeply understands the connection between cities and the health of the nation. I’m in the midst of writing an op-ed about how Barack Obama can help improve American cities. I’ll start the conversation off (but considering how tired I am this morning), I’m wondering if you can help me out and help fill in some of the blanks.

For starters, I think Obama needs to invest in some kind of New Deal for Infrastructure. A large plan that would include modernizing our train system; improving structures like bridges, tunnels and levees; and investing in cities to revive downtowns and curb sprawl.

What else would you add to a long list of things Obama should make happen?

Diana Lind is the former executive director and editor in chief of Next City.

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