Increasing urbanization and the resulting pressure on the urban housing market, the drifting apart of population groups into opposing political camps, the widening gap between rich and poor, and the consequences of climate change and extreme weather events were also identified as common challenges for the future professional exchange between the German and U.S. cities.
Especially for the field of climate protection and climate impact adaptation, the desire for an intensive exchange of knowledge on an intermunicipal level became clear. This was underlined by three U.S. and four German mayors who had already participated in the Mayors Roundtable in March 2022. As mayor of the coastal city of Fort Lauderdale in Florida, Dean Trantalis found clear words: "There is no Florida" if sea levels continue to rise as a result of global warming.