Neal Peirce speaks in Wilmington March 16

Neal Pierce

3:57 p.m., March 8, 2005--Nationally syndicated columnist Neal Pierce will give a lecture, “Thriving Communities in a Thriving Region” at 4 p.m., Wednesday, March 16, at the Baby Grand Theatre, 818 Market St., Wilmington.

Peirce’s reporting has repeatedly broken fresh ground in identifying vital new trends in urban, suburban and rural places. The weekly column, syndicated through The Washington Post Writers’ Group since 1978, appears in more than 50 newspapers, including The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Seattle Times.

“I’m trying,” Pierce says, “to report the best--and worst--of what’s happening in our states and communities, to cross-fertilize ideas, to show the amazing new forces at work at the local level, even as the federal government retrenches. Reporting and commentary from the grass roots are needed to give focus and a national perspective to what’s happening.”

Peirce has written 12 books, including Citistates: How Urban America Can Prosper in a Competitive World, and Breakthroughs: Recreating the American City. A founder of the National Journal, Pierce also served as political editor of Congressional Quarterly from 1960-69. He is chairman of the Citistates Group, a network of journalists and speakers who believe that successful metropolitan regions are today’s key to economic competitiveness and sustainable communities.

The event is sponsored by the Center for Community Research and Service at the University of Delaware with additional support from the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy, The News Journal, New Castle County and Citibank.

The presentation will include time for questions and discussion and will be followed by a reception. There is no fee for the program, but seating is limited and registration is required. To reserve a seat, call (302) 831-6780 or e-mail [cross@udel.edu].

Article by Martin Mbugua

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