He might be more famous right now for a feud with Conan O'Brien. But Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, N.J., has really become known for transforming urban environments. Last night he spoke mostly on that subject at the NYU Wagner event, "Leveraging Resources to Promote Justice in Urban Environments."

Under Booker's leadership, Newark is leading the country in crime reduction and urban transformation. Booker has created innovative programs that address matters from establishing a more effective police force to building more parks for residents.

In particular, Booker has implemented a prisoner re-entry initiative, which has helped newly-released prisoners become readjusted in their communities.

"It became clear that the people we were arresting were ex-offenders that had this sense of hopelessness," Booker said. "They had no other choice but to go back and make the easy money."

The programs Booker created as mayor also took on a more personal role. He recalled being unable to go on a jog at night without cars stopping him and the people in them asking for his help, saying, "I need a job." Booker attributes this need for change as his motivation for helping create more jobs in Newark.

Recently, a feud has broken out between late-night talk show host O'Brien and Booker. O'Brien made a quip on his show about Newark, and the joke has progressed into the two playfully banning each other from airports and even entire regions, including New Jersey and at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif.

Commenting on the feud, Booker said Newark is not "the butt of jokes."

"We are trying to match [O'Brien's] jokes, but honestly, we are against one of the greatest writing staffs in America," Booker said.