Cover Story
Can America's Biggest Ports Go Green?
BY Daniel C. Vock
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have set an audacious goal: reducing their greenhouse gas emissions to zero.
FEATURES
Politics & Elections
Small City, Big Goals: How an Unconventional Mayor Is Beating the System
West Sacramento, Calif.'s Christopher Cabaldon has revived his town and become a player on the national stage.
BY Liz Farmer
Finance
Rising Funeral Costs Put Pressure on Local Governments
Funerals have become a luxury that many Americans can’t afford. Cities and counties are paying the price.
BY Liz Farmer, Mattie Quinn
Infrastructure & Environment
Human Composting, Liquid Cremation: States Search for Greener Funeral Options
Washington just became the first U.S. state to sanction "human composting," the latest eco-friendly alternative to traditional burial and cremation.
BY J. Brian Charles
Health & Human Services
How Governments Are Transitioning Their Gender Policies to Nonbinary
A growing number of states and cities are letting residents identify as neither male nor female, setting up a cascade of tough policy questions.
BY Candice Norwood
Public Safety & Justice
Right to an Attorney? Most Tenants Face Landlords Without One.
But a handful of cities are starting to provide counsel in civil court.
BY J. Brian Charles
OBSERVER
Health & Human Services
Where’s the Beef? States Ban Veggie Burgers From Being Labeled 'Meat'
Lawmakers say they want to clear up confusion over plant-based meat substitutes.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Management & Labor
Want to Slash Your State’s Budget? This Woman Can Help.
Donna Arduin has made a career out of consulting with governors on budget cuts.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Public Safety & Justice
Is 311 Fair?
A new study examines whether cities respond to complaints as quickly in poor neighborhoods as they do in rich ones.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Finance
Nonprofits Don’t Have to Pay Taxes, But Boston Still Hopes They’ll Chip In
Half the city’s land mass is occupied by government entities and other tax-exempt institutions. Some city councilors say nonprofits are not paying their fair share.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Assessments
It's Been a Rough Year for Mass Transit
With falling ridership and scrapped expansion projects, urban transit faces an uncertain future.
BY Alan Ehrenhalt
Washington Watch
Natural Disasters and Distrust
In an emergency, government must convince people it knows best for them. That's easier said than done.
BY Donald F. Kettl
Urban Notebook
Why Orlando Is a Teenager in the Life Cycle of Cities
Older metros don’t grow the same way younger ones do. Why don’t we acknowledge that?
BY Pete Saunders
Politics
Areas With Most Local Governments Map
Maps shows where cities, towns and other local governments are most concentrated.
BY Mike Maciag
THE BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT
Smart Management
What Happens When Evidence-Based Policymaking Meets the Real World
Problems arise.
BY Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
On Leadership
Activist Auditors Are Making Their Mark
A new crop is redefining the role.
BY Mark Funkhouser
Public Money
This Once-Popular Public Policy Tool Could Be Key to States’ Budget Futures
Coordinating commissions have fallen out of favor. It’s time to bring them back.
BY Justin Marlowe
Transportation & Infrastructure
A Remedy for Urban Dullness
How can you build a great place? Expand the number of people who own it.
BY Alex Marshall
Health & Human Services
18 and On Your Own: A New Way to Ease the Transition From Foster Care
Aging out of the system brings tough challenges that states are trying to help young adults overcome.
BY Mattie Quinn
Infrastructure & Environment
Can Surge Pricing Cut Energy Use?
California will be the first state where utilities charge more for power used during peak hours.
BY Graham Vyse
