City Government
Post-pandemic, downtown recoveries continue to be uneven
From office conversions to bonding programs to unconventional approaches, cities are testing different ways to revive their downtowns.
A new tool aims to help communities spend their opioid settlement money wisely
The dashboard helps local governments estimate how much money to expect and, based on that, offers evidence-based recommendations on how best to spend it.
As hype intensifies, cities put AI to the test
A recent gathering of local officials shed some light on how cities are using artificial intelligence today and how they plan to use it.
Challenge-based procurement ‘just makes sense’
New York City is trying out a new approach to government procurement, whereby the city seeks solutions to its problems instead of prescribing them.
Town turns to text messaging to boost community engagement
Andover, Massachusetts, operates under the town meeting system. Amid abysmal meeting attendance, officials turned to SMS to manage its meetings and various initiatives.
Shiny new things and public priorities
COMMENTARY | The economic growth and civic pride benefits of new stadiums are not enough to compensate for the required public financial commitment.
Pro teams aim to score nicer stadiums—and maybe more—from the public
Sports teams are asking for millions of dollars in public subsidies to build or refurbish their stadiums, and many want to create nearby fan districts to boost their bottom lines too.
From paper to portal: How one city brought tax filings online
Under an aggressive modernization strategy, Columbus, Ohio, has built a one-stop shop for filing income tax returns.
The 5 best movies about state or local government, part 2
Lights, camera, action! In honor of this weekend’s Oscar Awards, here are our team’s top picks.
'Graffiti bombing' hits abandoned skyscrapers in Los Angeles and Miami
COMMENTARY | Graffiti artists in both cities recently tagged swiftly and extensively downtown skyscrapers that had been abandoned. The form of activism, which has a long history in cities, was met with a mix of admiration and condemnation.
Featured eBooks
What makes a top performing city?
The tech and hospitality industries drive sustainable economic performance, but broadband access, affordability and resilience also play key roles, according to the Milken Institute.
5 things your city can do right now to become more food resilient
COMMENTARY | The work cities do to build resilience before, during or after a crisis like a pandemic or natural disaster can lay the foundation for sustained access to quality, nutritious food.
Pressure mounts to extend low-income broadband subsidy
After the FCC released guidance on how it planned to wind down the Affordable Connectivity Program, more state and local officials are urging Congress to maintain funding.
Capturing AI’s potential needs a ‘two-way street’ between the feds and states, cities
A senior White House official said all levels of government need to work together on artificial intelligence to “move faster” to tackle big problems.
AI-ready New York City focuses on workforce, procurement
The plan’s emphasis on building employee skills and updating its byzantine contracting lays the foundation for a unified city government ready to face new challenges.
New York City unveils AI action plan
The first of its kind for a major U.S. city, the strategy sets a framework for the responsible roll out of artificial intelligence by agencies.
How cities can navigate their state’s broadband preemption laws
The National League of Cities takes a look at how municipalities can expand broadband even when state authority may limit their ability to do so.
Chronic Lifeguard Shortage Serves as Springboard to Address Racial Inequities
Cities and towns are again in deep waters this summer trying to hire enough lifeguards to open their public pools. Many are proceeding with sensitivity to issues of race and ethnicity.
How NYC Officials Failed to Prepare for an Air Quality Crisis
"It’s been a lackluster, underwhelming, frankly problematic response."
A New Texas Law Erodes the Power of City Councils
The long-sought bill stops the state’s bluer urban areas from enacting laws that exceed state law on a number of fronts. Republicans say the patchwork of local laws were hurting businesses.
