Sustainable Communities

• Texas Business Incentives Highest in the Nation
• Source: New York Times   |   Texas   |   December 3, 2012
• Texas offers the most incentives of any state to attract business, but it can be unclear whether Texans or companies gain more.
• 1 Comments

• The Evolution of a City Logo
• BY: Ryan Holeywell   |   Colorado Springs, Colo.   |   November 30, 2012
• The design team that creative the new logo for Colorado Springs explains what makes a good logo.

• What Did the Stimulus Do for States?
• BY: Alan Greenblatt   |   December 2012
• Governing interviewed Time correspondent Michael Grunwald, who argues in his new book that the stimulus has had more influence on domestic policy than any other piece of legislation in decades.

• The Great Convention Center Bailout
• BY: Tod Newcombe   |   December 2012
• With convention attendance down 40 million people from a decade earlier, why are cities pouring money into building and expanding facilities?
• 3 Comments

• Are Municipal Branding Campaigns Worth the Price?
• BY: Ryan Holeywell   |   December 2012
• Brand marketing promises new attention -- and money -- to cities.
• 4 Comments

• When Will Governments Hire Again?
• BY: Alan Greenblatt   |   December 2012
• Even where the fiscal picture has brightened, state and local officials are understandably wary about taking on new obligations.

• Brookings: Only 3 Major U.S. Cities See Economic Recovery
• Source: Reuters   |   Nation   |   November 30, 2012
• The Washington-based research group has deemed Dallas, Pittsburgh and Knoxville, Tenn., in recovery after analyzing their employment levels and gross domestic product per capita.
• 1 Comments

• 5-Year Farm Bill Gets New Life in Congress
• Source: Politico   |   Nation   |   November 30, 2012
• House and Senate farm bill leaders edged closer Thursday, joined in a last ditch effort to put in place a new five-year plan before the end of this Congress.

• The Need for Data with Meaning
• BY: Mark Funkhouser   |   November 29, 2012
• Community-indicator projects are popping up all over. They are serving an important function for regions that must compete on a global scale.

• Strike Cripples Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach
• Source: Los Angeles Times   |   California   |   November 29, 2012
• A small union of maritime clerks managed to shut down most of the nation's busiest seaport complex Wednesday, raising concerns about harm to the fragile economy.

• Holyoke, Mass., Mayor Reverses Course on Casinos
• Source: Boston Globe   |   Holyoke, Mass.   |   November 26, 2012
• In a surprising reversal of his steadfast anti-casino position, Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse plans to announce that he is supporting a proposal to develop a gambling resort off Route 91 in his economically struggling city.

• Unemployment Rates Drop in 37 States
• BY: Mike Maciag   |   November 20, 2012
• Jobless rates fell in most states last month. View updated totals for each state.

• Mayors Lobby Congress on Fiscal Cliff Concerns
• BY: Ryan Holeywell   |   November 15, 2012
• Local leaders say sequestration could be devastating to cities, but they also worry about the alternatives.
• 1 Comments

• 2 Million Unemployed's Benefits at Risk
• Source: Washington Post   |   Nation   |   November 13, 2012
• More than 2 million Americans stand to lose their jobless benefits unless Congress reauthorizes federal emergency unemployment help before the end of the year.

• Minimum-Wage Bill Moves Forward in New Jersey
• Source: Philadelphia Inquirer   |   New Jersey   |   November 13, 2012
• After a months-long stalemate over ways to raise the state's minimum wage, Senate Democrats have agreed to put forward an Assembly-approved bill that would boost the wage to $8.50 from $7.25 and include annual cost-of-living increases.