LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — With issues such as crime, homelessness, mental health and the overall wellbeing of communities across the nation being discussed, conversations about how mid-sized America can address them has made its way to Lafayette.

Put together by local organizations, Big Towns is a conference bringing speakers from across the country to address those problems, and solutions on public safety, economic development and health care in mid-sized cities like Lafayette.

Christiaan Mader with The Current says places like Lafayette are too small to be big cities, yet too big to be small towns. Lafayette, however, still experience some of the same issues as bigger cities.

“Mid-sized cities have big city problems, like if you read the paper right crime, housing, health, health care, all these kinds of things,” said Mader. “You know, we’ll have conversations this week about, you know, developing economy around culture, about how we communities of our size are looking at housing codes or trying to add supply right.”

The two-day conference will allow people to come together to discuss those issues and develop solutions. Kicking off the conference, a conversation on ideas that can help cities was held between CBS lead national correspondent David Begnaud, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota Mayor Paul Tenhaken.

The conversation serves as blueprint on what Lafayette could implement and Mader says this a way the community can flourish while it continues to grow.

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“Every community in America wants to create a place where anybody can thrive. All we’re doing here is looking for ideas that fit,” said Mader.

The conference is kicking off Festival International and is being held at the Acadiana Center for the Arts.

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