Governing: State and local government news and analysis
It is irresponsible and dangerous for politicians to dictate which investments public asset managers must favor. States, municipalities and public pensions are paying higher interest rates on bonds and getting poorer returns on investments.
Shifting demographics and changing migration patterns have impacted the city, moving it toward the future with programs that reflect the country’s history of blending cultures.
We don’t bulldoze poor neighborhoods the way we used to. But African countries are heavily into it.
They can help clear the air over UFO sightings by letting residents know if they live near military operations airspace, says a new RAND report. Public help is most needed to spot and report human misbehavior.
Too many neighborhoods are not designed for today’s record-setting heat. There is a solution: “Smart surfaces” can make cities cooler and less vulnerable to flooding.
Since the earliest days of the Internet, much of the world’s data flows through Northern Virginia. But power limitations and environmental concerns could slow down the region's relentless pace of data center activity.
Housing deterioration is a serious problem for lower-income households. Home repairs address deep-seated racial and environmental injustices, and substandard housing can be a matter of life and death.
City planning agencies and business improvement districts are increasingly relying on cellphone tracking data from groups like Placer.ai to understand how cities are changing.
As a new Arizona survey shows, voters want to take the partisanship out of how top state and local election officials are chosen. The system we use now erodes public trust.
Everything from fatal overdoses to the number of people suffering from severe depression has been growing at alarming rates. Counties have been providing services but insist that Washington must do more.
Inflation rates are coming down, but state and local labor costs will be sticky, as will public-employee health-care expenses. Overall, though, it’s a better outlook for pension funding and astute government cash managers.
A student’s transfer to a four-year institution is a benchmark for success among community colleges. But the numbers are low and disparities persist across the system, especially between colleges in rural areas and those in wealthy suburbs.
It’s a myth that the summer break is a relic of our agricultural past, and today’s summer school has a negative taint. It needs to be reimagined.
The state’s governor is trying to make policy for many generations from now. It’s hard enough to get it right for even a decade or two. How’s your flying car working out?
What can Phoenix, the hottest large city in the country, teach local governments about managing extreme heat?
Before Jane Gilbert took on the job for Miami-Dade County, no city in the world had a chief heat officer. What can others learn from the work she’s doing?
There are signs that Gov. Tate Reeves' reelection is in trouble, but he has an outstanding track record. Meanwhile, turning New Jersey red and a failure to comply.
Downtown activity in Utah's capital city is far greater than it was even before the pandemic, according to some reports. While parts of the local economy still struggle, tourism has roared back.
As the presidential campaign gets underway, some Republicans are pledging to wield federal power to nationalize their states’ policies. It’s an approach that seems at odds with the party’s history.
A proposed bill would pave the way for night markets and farmers’ markets across the state by cutting red tape and costs through a dedicated permit to regularly occurring market events.
Commissioners in Yancey County, in the western part of the state, considered withdrawing their library from the regional system after heated public debate about a Pride Month book display.
Most of our infrastructure has been designed to withstand rainfall projections that are hopelessly obsolete. Every part of the country at risk of flooding needs urgent and significant upgrades.
Future prosperity depends not only on local resources, but on size. Academic centers that don’t lure new residents are apt to fall behind.
Greyhound recently left its Philadelphia station to join other intercity bus services on the curb, creating headaches for riders, businesses and local officials. Other cities are in a similar position — or will be soon.
The District of Columbia’s approach isn’t perfect, but overall it’s a balanced and well-thought-out effort that protects individuals and doesn't overly burden businesses. It could serve as a model for other governments.
Arresting people who have no options left is just adding another tier of disenfranchisement. At best, it’s a dehumanizing shell game.
Despite Americans’ pessimism about the state of our democracy, Democrats and Republicans agree on policies to protect election workers, expand voting access and strengthen election integrity.
Sometimes they work, producing public revenue and neighborhood development. But some of them turn out to be civic disasters. Is there a formula for mixed-use magic?
Attractive investment returns could accompany economic development if local public pension systems join forces with angel investors to capitalize on a marketplace void.
Even before the Supreme Court's decision striking it down, Black students didn’t have equitable access to elite public higher education. We need to find better ways to extend true educational opportunities to all Americans.
