At City Summit 2018, 50 cities committed to new initiatives to support their innovation economies. NLC’s City Innovation Ecosystems program collects and tracks these commitments in order to showcase successes, identify best practices and connect peer cities who can learn together. Here we share the story of one city’s work: A new kind of recreation

The last federal transportation bill, the Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2016, will expire in September of 2020. It brought cities year over year increases in federal transportation block grant funding, and now, a brand new transportation bill must be stitched together by Congress. Cities need this new legislation to set the course

From major national elections and the Census, to controversies around whether we’ve actually even started a new decade (NPR seems to think we have another year until we start the “roaring twenties”), 2020 promises to be an exciting year. Here at NLC, we’ve been feeling the pulse on the ground in cities, towns and villages

As the number of cities building citywide afterschool systems continues to grow, a new report, “Using Data to Strengthen Afterschool Planning, Management, and Strategy” from The Wallace Foundation examines eight cities that established a management information system (MIS) to design and support the use of data in afterschool programs; including Denver, Colorado. The National League

I never imagined I’d see the year 2020. When I thought about it – even just a few years ago – I envisioned flying cars and space travel. I foresaw a world where our society’s most basic needs – shelter and safety – would be met. I presumed the tenants of local democracy would win

In November of last year, leaders from across the country met in San Antonio for the National League of Cities’ City Summit to learn from one another and exchange ideas on the issues affecting their cities. Of those issues, cybersecurity was one of the biggest on leaders’ minds. It is not difficult to understand why:

The city of Chicago impounds vehicles where debtors have three or more unpaid fines. Robbin Fulton’s vehicle was impounded, and when she filed for bankruptcy and asked the city to turn over her vehicle, it refused. And so, the question the Supreme Court will decide in City of Chicago, Illinois v. Fulton is whether a local government

The importance of Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) cannot be understated when it comes to poor and/or urban communities that sometimes find themselves to be financially challenged. The EITC is a refundable tax credit for working individuals and families who earns $54,000 or less a year. Tax season is always challenging whether you make $1

2020 is a benchmark year for attaining sustainability and climate goals. Last week, House Energy and Commerce Democrats released a legislative framework for addressing climate change through economy-wide solutions, including the power sector, buildings, transportation, and industry. In July 2019, the Committee adopted the ambitious goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The

Last year, as Congressional action on PFAS drinking water contamination stalled, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) vowed to bring a standalone package to the House floor in January. Last week, he made good on that promise and the House passed the PFAS Action Act (H.R. 535), by a bipartisan vote of 247-159. The bill would