Did you know that Leeds in England is a sister city of Durban in South Africa? I learned this after overhearing a conversation at acosmeticdentistryguide.co.uk/teethwhitening.html when I was looking for student accommodation Leeds . I thought: “What would Leeds and Durban have in common? And, what's the purpose of a sister city?”

After doing some research, I learned that the Leeds City Council felt that both cities have the potential for longer term economic cooperation. Their aim is to develop interests and opportunities of young people, local businesses, and progress in technology and education to the benefit of all within these cities. So far, it appears that the interests and opportunities are related to television, sport, and business practice. Yorkshire sponsors have invested in Lion's Den, school partnerships, opportunities for the 2010 World Cup, and also schemes, such as the Commonwealth Local Government Good Practice.

Not all agree that such sister city or “twin town” cooperative agreements are setup with a noble intent. Critics argue that these bonds are expensive, unnecessary and are established to create pleasurable escapes for councillors and governors at the public expense. Keeping an eye on how cities build bonds with other international places, the projects, and benefits, can help the public learn if their money is well spent on such endeavors or not.