South Carolina leaders must work together to promote and protect our neighborhoods, conserve our environment, and sustain our economic growth. That’s the message approximately 50 Midlands business, political and community leaders heard Tuesday at a Mayors’ Forum on Regional Planning hosted by ULI South Carolina.

Former Pittsburgh mayor Thomas Murphy told attendees that regional collaboration is essential in today’s global economy. Murphy is Senior Resident Fellow, ULI/Klingbeil Family Chair for Urban Development, ULI-the Urban Land Institute. The success of any given region, Murphy said, depends on that region’s ability to address growth-related issues such as economic diversity, environmental sustainability, integrated land use and transportation systems.