Writer Stephen Goldsmith was mayor of Indianapolis from 1991-1999. Since leaving office, the former prosecutor has served as Texas Gov. George W. Bush's top adviser on urban issues. Thanks to Goldsmith, Indianapolis is now considered by policy wonks as a mecca for urban innovation. When Goldsmith took office in 1991, he made public employees compete with private contractors for city services such as trash collection. While on the road with Bush, he answered questions about policies for forward-thinking cities.
First thing is to do the core business well.
Make sure the infrastructure works, streets are safe and schools are effective. Tax policy has to incentivize capital and can't cause it to flee, so reasonable taxes are important as well. It would include public school choice and, to some extent, tax credits for children who are trapped in poorly performing public schools. That should be coupled with effective early intervention programs, like Head Start. At the first annual James W. Rouse lecture on the American city in 1997, after a question about one thing that would cause Indianapolis to be better positioned for the future academically and economically, you replied a father in every household.