Twin towns and sister cities

thumb|Sign denoting twin towns of [[Neckarsulm, Germany]]
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.

Terminology

In the United Kingdom, the term twin towns is most commonly used, generally referring to town-twinning with Europe, differentiating with the term sister cities, which is used for agreements with towns and cities in the United States. In Europe, a variety of terms are used; most commonly twin towns, but partnership towns, partner towns and friendship towns, are also used. Germany uses Partnerstadt (Partner Town/City), France uses Ville Jumelée (Twinned Town/City). In the Netherlands, the term Stedenband (City bond) is used. North America, South America, South Asia, Australasia and Asia generally use the term sister cities. In the former Soviet Bloc countries twin towns is used, as well as the term brother cities, which is also used on occasion.
Sometimes other government bodies enter into a "twinning" relationship, such as the agreement between the provinces of Hainan in China and Jeju-do in South Korea, or between Washington, D.C., and Beijing.

The Douzelage is a town twinning association with one town from each of the member states of the European Union.

Europe

thumb|left|Sign showing twin towns of [[Pápa, Hungary]]
thumb|Four twinning towns of [[Brzeg Dolny, Poland]]
thumb|left|Sign showing twin towns of Saint Sylvain d'Anjou, France thumb|Sister Cities Bridge with national flags in the [[Country Club Plaza district of Kansas City, Missouri]]
thumb|left|Sign showing twin towns of [[Epping, United Kingdom]]
thumb|Los Angeles City Hall, and its signpost of Sister Cities
The earliest form of town twinning in Europe was between the German city of Paderborn and the French city of Le Mans in 836.Keighley, West Yorkshire, England had a "sister cities" arrangement with Suresnes and Puteaux, France starting in 1905. The first recorded modern twinning agreement was between Keighley and Poix-du-Nord, Nord, France in 1920 following the end of World War I. This was initially referred to as an adoption of the French town, with formal twinning charters not being exchanged until 1986.
The practice was continued after the Second World War as a way to bring European people into a closer understanding of each other and to promote cross-border projects of mutual benefit. For example, Coventry twinned with Stalingrad (now Volgograd) and later with Dresden as an act of peace and reconciliation, all three cities having been heavily bombed during the war. Each twin city country is represented in a specific ward of the city and in each ward has a peace garden dedicated to that twin city. Another early example of town twinning dates back to 1947 when Bristol Corporation (later Bristol City Council) sent five 'leading citizens' on a goodwill mission to Hanover.

Within Europe, town twinning is supported by the European Union. The support scheme was established in 1989. In 2003 an annual budget of about 12 million euros was allocated to about 1,300 projects. The Council of European Municipalities and Regions also works closely with the Commission (DG Education and Culture) to promote modern, high quality twinning initiatives and exchanges that involve all sections of the community. It has launched a website dedicated to town twinning.

Many German cities still are twinned with other German cities. The partnerships were established in the last years of former East Germany. Famous examples are the partnerships of Hanover and Leipzig (both having important trade fair grounds) or between Hamburg and Dresden.

North America

The first city in North America to establish a sister city relationship was Toledo, Ohio, with Toledo, Spain in 1931. Vancouver, British Columbia was also a notable city to enter into an intercontinental twinning arrangement when, in 1944, it twinned with the Ukrainian city of Odessa, which at the time was part of the Soviet Union. This was based on aiding the allied port city during the Second World War. Tashkent, an Uzbek city, then part of the Soviet Union, was twinned with Seattle, Washington in 1973 and became the first Soviet city to be twinned with one in the US. Another first for town twinning occurred in 1967 when Rochester, Minnesota and Knebworth, UK teamed up to bring a primary medical research front.

The American sister cities program was initiated in 1956 by President Dwight Eisenhower. It was originally administered as part of the National League of Cities, but since 1967 it has been a separate organization, Sister Cities International (SCI), which is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network creating and strengthening partnerships between U.S. and international communities in an effort to increase global cooperation at the municipal level, to promote cultural understanding and to stimulate private business and economic development. SCI leads the movement for local community development and volunteer action by motivating and empowering private citizens, municipal officials and business leaders to conduct long-term programs of mutual benefit.

Other meanings

The phrase "sister cities" is sometimes used to refer to cities without a formal agreement that have similar cultures and/or historical backgrounds, such as Galveston, Texas and New Orleans, two cities that were historically major Southern ports on the Gulf coast. Another example is Charleston, South Carolina and Boston.

Criticism

The concept of sister cities has been criticized as an unnecessary and expensive endeavor for cities to take part in with little to no accountability or obvious signs of economic development resulting from the arrangement. Critics complain that politicians can use the sister cities as an excuse to take junkets.