Self-government and local control are in jeopardy as never before. Diversity initiatives are engines of equal opportunity, offering a direct return on public investment.
New York and other cities are changing their zoning codes to allow clean, small-scale production in their commercial corridors. Opening up retail spaces to “artisanal manufacturing” has many benefits for communities.
The changes in Houston Independent School District rival some of the most significant shake-ups to a public school system ever. Could it change schools nationwide?
At least four cities across the state are replacing traditional Fourth of July firework displays with laser and drone shows.
There are strong models for combating youthful disillusionment. San Francisco’s Youth Commission should be replicated across the country and a White House Office of Young Americans could address issues that affect everyone.
The liberal/moderate/conservative labels we give ourselves reveal little about what Americans actually want out of policy and government. More progress can be made at the community level, where tribal labels are less relevant.
Political independents — those who don’t vote consistently for one party or the other — have views that align with their lived experience. Democrats and Republicans? They just follow the party line.
Future in Context
A former mayor of Compton, Calif., who oversaw the country’s largest experiment with universal basic income, thinks a new software platform can help bootstrap underserved communities.
Aldermen are set to consider the city’s largest police misconduct settlement ever. Four men were imprisoned after allegedly being coerced by the police to give false confessions of a 1995 double murder.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has struggled to accomplish big things, and his predecessor had an even harder time. History suggests some building blocks of mayoral success.
Local governments want to see empty and underused offices converted to housing, but that’s often difficult. An examination of office and housing markets reveals the specific cities where this approach is most promising.
During her two terms as mayor of Compton, Calif., Aja Brown focused on improving the lives of the underserved. Now she’s exploring the potential for technology to track how resources are aggregated and used.
The Petroleum Products Corporation Superfund site in Pembroke Park acted as a dumping ground for an oil-processing and refining facility from 1957 to 1971. Now it’s one of the nation’s worst hazardous waste dumps.
Lacey Beaty came into office as mayor of Beaverton, Ore., with less power than her predecessor. That hasn't stopped her from taking on the city's biggest issue.
Local government finance officers can employ revenue, procurement and other tactics that disrupt the status quo to finance important initiatives.
Auditors warn of financial consequences ahead of the June 4 primary election if Gregory, Haakon and Tripp counties ban the use of tabulator machines in future elections.
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