The municipal election is giving Chicagoans the chance to ponder how a new Mayor might shape the future of their city. To provide some food for thought, Changing Gears is looking at the role leaders are playing in the transformation of this region.

Reporter Kate Davidson starts things off by looking at the man with perhaps the toughest job of any big city mayor: Dave Bing of Detroit. He has to keep his impoverished city running -  while convincing residents Detroit must shrink to survive.

In the next part of the series, Changing Gears looks at leadership in Cleveland, where both the mayor and county government have their eyes on the future. Changing Gears is a joint project of Michigan Radio, WBEZ Chicago, and Ideastream Cleveland.

Support for Changing Gears comes from The Corporation for Public Broadcasting.