News

Watch: 4 Cities Talk About How They Innovated to Improve Equity

As participants in the City Accelerator initiative, these four cities have created smart, successful programs to better serve their residents.

Creating Systems Change in Your City: 4 Lessons From the Front Lines

After helping a dozen cities implement policy innovations through the City Accelerator initiative, these experts offer some best practices.

P3s Can Be Bad for Racial Equity -- But They Don't Have to Be

Governments can structure arrangements with private contractors that consider impacts on low-income individuals and people of color.

Thinking About a P3? Better Ask These Questions First

Washington, D.C.'s innovative Office of Public-Private Partnerships offers a good case study in to assess whether a P3 makes sense for a particular city project.

If P3s Are the Answer, What Was the Question?

Public-private partnerships aren't free money. But they can be used to improve performance.

Which P3 Model Works Best For Your Project?

With more than a dozen different ways to structure a public-private partnership, figuring out the most appropriate one for a given project can be hard. Here's a list of what's out there.

Funding Tomorrow's Inclusive Cities Today

A new guide for financing infrastructure allows cities to build on field-tested ideas.

As Cities Look At Options For Financing Infrastructure, They Keep An Eye Out For Low-Income Residents

Four cities -- Pittsburgh, St. Paul, the District of Columbia and San Francisco -- field-tested collaborative approaches to paying for things that cities need.

A Conversation with Cities: Mayors on Closing Gaps in Infrastructure and Economic Opportunity

Four mayors reflect on their attempts to better meet the infrastructure needs of low-income residents.

The Smartest Thing in Federal Infrastructure Plan? More Credit.

Expanded credit programs could help cities innovate new financing solutions for much-needed projects.

Reflections on Innovation

Some observations after nearly four years of reporting on the City Accelerator

Moving Forward Without the Feds

The infrastructure finance cohort convening in Washington, D.C., proved that local ingenuity combined with the right partners can push projects ahead.

Pittsburgh Steps Up

How the city turned adversity into advantage to help tackle a unique infrastructure challenge

Equity: Trending but Not Trendy

Equity is not a new word to public policy discussion but its recent popularity reflects a change in perspective

Improving Water Quality Doesn’t Have to Wash Away Budgets

Saint Paul’s “shared and stacked” approach ensures its stormwater management projects reap multiple benefits for the community.

Bringing It Home

Even communities far away can face familiar challenges and offer replicable solutions.

Living in an Age of ‘What Ifs’

Cities in the infrastructure cohort get ready to reconvene to find innovative answers to pressing questions

What Does President Trump Mean for Our Nation's Infrastructure?

The infamous Wollman Rink project might provide a clue.

Making Changes in Flight: Creating New Models for Infrastructure in Land Development

The private sector doesn't have to pay a price to be green.

Uncovering Hidden Infrastructure for a Brighter Future

Saint Paul, Minn., positions stormwater as a resource.

When Art and Infrastructure Finance Collide

I asked a poet to write a poem about city government. The result took my breath away.

Building a Platform Instead of a Wall

Albuquerque is harnessing the strength of immigrant entrepreneurs to improve its local economy.

Reading Beyond the Headline: Why Seattle’s Ideas Are Worth Stealing

Mayor Murray ups the ante on inclusive citizen engagement -- and helps pave the way for the rest of us.

Getting the Results You Want by Investing in Frontline Workers

Denver's Peak Academy demonstrates how investing in people pays off.

Broadband Equity Defines the Future of Communities

High-speed connectivity is no longer negotiable.

A Conversation With Mayors on Making Innovation Stick

Mayors from the City Accelerator's first cohort reflect on the changes underway in their cities.

Is Keeping Innovation Going the Real Challenge?

The City Accelerator's Cohort I cities are meeting this week to discuss their progress, challenges and how they can sustain their momentum.

A Primer on Financing Infrastructure: Obtaining the Tools to Get the Job Done

Most city leaders are grappling with an important question: How do we pay for critical infrastructure improvements?

Infrastructure: A Problem That Must Be Solved

Lessons on taking the long view from former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

The Buck Starts Here

The capital project development process needs early consideration of revenue and finance.

Surviving the Transition: How to Sustain an Initiative beyond a Mayor’s Exit

What to do when an initiative's funding ends and the original champion moves on.

Why Time Doesn’t Always Heal

A critical issue 25 years ago, our nation’s infrastructure remains in the same deteriorating state today.

Beyond the Numbers: Telling the Infrastructure Story

The District of Columbia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and St. Paul begin working on developing new models for funding public infrastructure through the City Accelerator.

The Road Ahead Is in Need of Repair

The future of our nation's infrastructure requires an innovation intervention.

Introducing the City Accelerator's Third Cohort

Four municipalities will focus on innovative ways to finance infrastructure.

Mapping the Story of Government Transparency

The City Accelerator's Cohort III is using the power of data visualization and mapping to help cities tell their stories and create understanding around their challenges.

6 Questions About Financing Infrastructure, Answered

Jennifer Mayer, leader of the City Accelerator’s cohort on financing municipal infrastructure, talks about her favorite projects, the Flint water crisis and more.

Let's Build Something Together: An Aspirational Infrastructure Tour of 5 Cities

Financing public improvements isn't easy -- but nothing is more important for cities to prosper.

Cities Build Up Innovation to Tackle Breakdown in Urban Infrastructure

In the City Accelerator's new Cohort III, cities will disrupt old ways of planning, prioritizing and budgeting for infrastructure projects.

The Fast and Fleeting Nature of the Digital Economy

When your city invests in technology, make the most of it -- and quickly. Today's new idea is tomorrow's old hat.