The city of Charlotte, North Carolina, welcomes approximately 100 new residents per day, making it the 9th fastest growing city in the country. And it’s no wonder: The city truly is, what some call, a “place of opportunity.” Charlotte is a hub for many things, most notable of which is jobs. The city boasts the second
Over the last decade, the drivers of economic prosperity for American cities have undergone a radical transformation. The traditional strategy of municipal growth — lowering taxes and offering economic sweeteners to attract outside firms, doesn’t seem to be enough to attract skilled workers. Major metropolitan areas and rural towns alike are struggling to grow, retain
We all have bias. An inescapable reality of humanity, bias is the evaluation of one group and its members relative to another and can be implicit or explicit. Implicit bias refers to the way people unconsciously and sometimes unwillingly exhibit feelings, attitudes, and judgments towards other individuals and groups. By understanding the implicit biases embedded
This is guest post by Bill Eller, vice president, business development at HomeServe. Scranton, Pennsylvania is known as “the Electric City,” and in recent years, it has become a poster child for legacy cities and efforts of revitalization. Facing decline since its height in the 1950s, Scranton has recently become home to a vibrant arts
Many American rust belt cities have risen high, fallen hard, and come back to life – and a case could be made that none rose so high nor fell quite so far as Cleveland, Ohio. The fortune of this city on the shore of Lake Erie has ebbed and flowed in tandem with its iconic
This is guest post by Bill Fay, Coalition Director, Energy Efficient Codes Coalition There is no national policy issue that is as largely in cities’ hands to develop as writing building energy codes. With little effort and no expenditure of public funds, cities, towns and villages can help write the nation’s building energy code. All
As a city leader, how do you know if the policies and programs your city provides for youth are effective? One great and often overlooked way is to engage the experts—youth—before, during and after decisions about the policies and programs that will affect them so they, too, can love their city. In supporting youth, it
Once known as a bedroom community of the greater Portland region, my city is now a hub of its own. Located along the Columbia River, Vancouver, Washington, a city of 186,000, is bustling with energy, vitality, and excitement about the future. Take a walk around this small big city and you are likely to bump
Can a conference jumpstart a national movement of city officials supporting local entrepreneurs? It can if national support is connected to local commitments to action. Last month at the Mayor’s Conference for Entrepreneurship, 65 mayors committed to specific policies, programs, and practices that will provide support and resources to those in their communities starting a
What’s your mayor talking about in 2019? Believe it or not, it’s likely e-scooters, marijuana and social media. Every year, mayors across the country give state of the city speeches that, much like the State of the Union address, highlight their priorities and vision for the year. At the National League of Cities, we release
