In October, executives from Ivanovo, Russia, traveled 5,326 miles to Plano to share business strategies. What’s behind the unlikely pairing? The towns are sister cities. So what exactly is a sister city, you ask? In 1956, President Eisenhower proposed a diplomatic initiative that eventually spawned Sister Cities International, a nonprofit focused on promoting cultural understanding and stimulating economic development. Cities can be assigned siblings or find their own—like Arlington and Bad Königshofen, Germany, whose town leaders bonded after a chance meeting back in 1951. The unions can then lead to cultural, educational, or business exchanges. Below, a sample of Dallas-area suburbs and their foreign family members.
Denton Farmers Branch Plano Irving | Southlake Tome, Miyagi, Japan El Fuerte, Sinaloa, Mexico Duncanville Highland Park Addison Grapevine |
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