Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane is now halfway through her first term, and as she carries on the momentum from former Mayor Charles Meeker, who served for 10 years and endorsed McFarlane, Raleigh has earned the title as one of the “cities of the future” from the BBC.

On Dec. 28, McFarlane spoke on the program Newshour to talk about how the city hosts a growing job markets. Raleigh is the fastest growing city in the U.S., according to the Census Bureau. With help from Research Triangle Park attracting multinational companies and an economy based on high-tech innovations, the Forbes reported that 116,500 people have relocated to the city since 2007, seeking better jobs. 

McFarlane discussed her values on keeping Raleigh sustainable, one of her campaign platforms, and spoke of the importance of diversity in cities. 

The program also featured other “cities of the future,” including Perth, Australia and Curitiba, Brazil. Perth is the capital of Western Australia and since the 1950s has been transforming its economy from natural-resource based to service industries. Curitiba is the capital of the Brazilian state, Paraná, and is a manufacturing hub for the country.