Parks and open space are an ongoing priority in Jersey City, New Jersey. We understand the value that parks bring to a city, its economy and, most importantly, its residents. What we didn’t fully realize was that by integrating park priorities with other key city priorities, such as youth development, stormwater management, and Vision Zero,

This is an excerpt from NLC’s report, “Micromobility in Cities: A History and Policy Overview.” San Francisco has been a pioneer in micromobility, long before the term existed. The city introduced the Bay Area Bike Share pilot in 2013, and expanded the concept (now called “Ford GoBike”) in 2017. This program started with 700 bikes

This is a guest post by Sheri Steining, special programs director at Generations United It’s 8:15 a.m. and the lobby of the skilled nursing facility is filled with an air of anticipation as older adult residents are excitedly stationed in their usual spots. Some have brightly colored red, purple or green streaks in their hair, and

This is a guest post by C.H. “Burt” Mills, Jr., Aransas County Judge and William R. Whitson, Managing Director of Local Government Visions, LLC. Hurricane Harvey came ashore in Aransas County near Rockport, Texas as a full class IV hurricane. Harvey raged for more than 12 hours, causing widespread devastation, including 25% loss to the local tax

I am the immediate past vice-mayor and current city councilman in Charlottesville, Virginia. The home of Thomas Jefferson (whose birthday we no longer celebrate), the place where white people dressed up in white and carried tiki torches, and where our African American community was decimated for urban renewal, is still—in my opinion—the greatest city in

The affordable housing crisis looks different in every American city. Demographics, natural resources, and infrastructure are just a few factors that influence community needs—and they vary from place to place. NLC’s most recent report,  Homeward Bound: The Road to Affordable Housing provides direction for how elected officials and community leaders can implement policy changes, building

For many world religions, a respect for nature and a desire to care for our planet lies at the heart of their practices and rituals. In 2015, Pope Francis surprised the world with Laudato Si, a papal encyclical on “care for our common home.” Around the same time, 27 Buddhist and 60 Hindu leaders from

Having a stable job, and being able to retire comfortably, are part of the American dream. But because of complicating factors, such as a changing economic landscape and automation, these previously stalwart aspects of many careers have started to disappear. Unfortunately, local government jobs aren’t immune to these changes. But what exactly is happening, and

Congestion Pricing — the infamous urban traffic reduction tool, utilized by London, Singapore and Stockholm — has been approved for usage in New York City. NLC’s new report, Making Space: Congestion Pricing in Cities, details both the existing global congestion pricing schemes and what we know about New York City’s new program. On March 31,

During the 2019 legislative sessions, state lawmakers again passed preemption laws limiting local power, including authority over minimum wage, regulation of e-cigarettes and local contracting powers. This, according to a new report from the Local Solutions Support Center and State Innovation Exchange entitled “The Growing Shadow of State Interference,” highlights the work of 2019 state