Readout: Mayor Johnson’s Third Day at the World Economic Forum
Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson on Wednesday participated in interviews, meetings, and a roundtable as part of his visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
In the morning, Mayor Johnson joined Jamie Heller and Kimberly S. Johnson of the Wall Street Journal for a wide-ranging interview that focused primarily on his 3Ps: Public safety, Parks, and Property tax relief.
Following the interview, Mayor Johnson joined Mayor Sami Kanaan of Geneva, Switzerland, and Jeff Merritt, Head of Urban Transformation, on a Mayor’s Roundtable. The conversation centered on how cities and subnational governments can partner with the private sector to form ideas and create innovative programs that have international impacts. During the conversation, Mayor Johnson highlighted his greening efforts in Dallas, which include recently announced plans to build five new neighborhood parks. He also discussed how the World Economic Forum could support greening efforts in cities around the world by using its convening power to identify and disseminate best practices. Mayor Johnson’s comments drew positive feedback from Mayor Kanaan of Geneva, which is often referred to as “the city of parks” — gardens and parks make up 20% of Geneva’s land — but is nevertheless still making efforts to add to and enhance its greenspaces.
Then, Mayor Johnson met with John Tuttle, Vice Chair of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and President of the NYSE Institute. The two discussed Dallas’s national and international reputation. Dallas has attracted expansions and relocations of large, publicly traded companies during Mayor Johnson’s tenure in office, and there are more Texas businesses listed on the NYSE than any other state.
Lastly, Mayor Johnson joined Matt Turner from Business Insider for an interview. The mayor discussed why the city of Dallas and the state of Texas appeals to residents of coastal communities, especially those in California. Mayor Johnson also shared details about his strategies for improving housing affordability with a market-based approach that focuses on increasing supply while also working to boost families’ incomes — and, therefore, their purchasing power — through better-coordinated workforce development efforts.
Mayor Johnson is scheduled to attend more sessions and speak as part of a panel on Thursday as he represents the City of Dallas and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport at the Forum.
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