- October 05, 2022
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- October 05, 2022
On October 5, 2022, the Aspen Institute Germany and the American Council on Germany hosted the sixth discussion in our virtual event series State-to-State: German-American State Legislator Dialogue with German and American state legislators. While global challenges are addressed by national governments, increasingly subnational actors such as states, communities, and cities have needed to step up to take action when traditional nation-states have been unable to make progress due to political polarization and partisan gridlock. This trend has also characterized transatlantic relations and the German-American partnership.
In recent years, many cities in Germany and the United States have experienced dramatic increases in real estate values such that affordable housing is no longer available for both lower-income and many middle-class residents. The rise in prices is caused by a range of issues including not enough supply or high demand in regions with strong job markets. Coupled with rising energy prices, affordable housing and sustainable urban development have become critical issues for communities in both countries. To ensure that urban areas remain vibrant and diverse, policy makers need to explore new policy tools that address zoning, taxes and subsidies, and smart growth, among other issues. How are U.S. states and German Länder helping their urban communities confront these challenges?
We explored these issues with Dr. Anke Frieling MdHB (CDU), Hamburg Parliament, Delegate Marvin E. Holmes (D), Maryland House of Delegates and Mathias Schulz MdA (SPD), Berlin House of Representatives. The discussion was moderated by Aspen Germany’s Wiebke Wartenberg and Steven Sokol of the American Council on Germany.
This event is part of the State-to-State: German-American State Legislator Dialogue which the Aspen Institute Germany and the American Council on Germany have launched to provide a platform for subnational exchange amongst German and American state legislators and a broader audience on common transatlantic challenges. The project builds on Aspen Germany’s Laboratories of Democracy Initiative, a transatlantic exchange program for German and American state legislators.
