The Top of the Arc: Cocreating a More Innovative, Adaptive, and Effective Local Government

The Top of the Arc focuses on how local governments and the people they serve can cocreate exceptional communities through innovation, collaboration, and adaptation.

In 2016, the Town Council of Cary, North Carolina appointed change-agent Sean R. Stegall to manage the thriving community of more than 180,000 people from more than 60 countries with a national reputation for excellence — safe neighborhoods, extensive bike-friendly parks and greenways, environmental stewardship, robust business climate, and premier sports venues. With vacant land becoming scarce, the development trends that fueled Cary’s successes over five decades would have to change, and Stegall’s job was to “keep Cary Cary” while, at the same time, implementing the Imagine Cary Community Plan, a policy and strategy document years in the making that would address these trends and carry the city forward to 2040. Instilling a “people first” philosophy, Stegall and the elected Cary Town Council are reshaping local government through collaboration, experimentation, innovation, and adaptation. Cary remains an exceptional place to call home, an inspiring destination for visitors, and a compelling case study for helping keep cities strong.