After shutdowns that devastated local economies, cities and towns across the country are at various stages of reopening since the second week of May. While COVID-19 transmission is declining in many states the highest transmission rates have moved from big cities to the heartlands. This is likely from large crowds that congregated over Memorial Day
This is a special CitiesSpeak feature by Carlos Delgado, senior associate for the Rose Center for Public Leadership, and Aliza R. Wasserman, senior associate with NLC’s Race, Equity, And Leadership (REAL) Initiative. Since the announcement of the HQ2 shortlist, countless organizations and media outlets have examined both the stated criteria for Amazon’s decision and the outside
This is a guest post from Emily Morgan, director of content development at the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center. As jurisdictions work to increase public safety and reduce corrections costs, a growing number have been exploring strategies targeted at improving outcomes for what is often the most challenging population under justice system supervision: young
This is a guest post by Jason Cooper, program director for crime reduction initiatives at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Many cities beset by high rates of crime face economic and social problems that go well beyond the capacity of police to address. As such, stepped up enforcement, on its own, is rarely enough to
Jails open the “front door of mass incarceration,” and cities have opportunities to reduce the number of people entering jail. Cities can take measures such as providing local law enforcement with better tools and alternatives to arrest, supporting community-based alternatives to jails, and creating supports for people returning from incarceration. The NLC Institute for Youth,
This is an NLC staff post by Bernadette Onyenaka and Chelsea Jones. Hurricane season is upon us yet again, and while nothing is ever certain, what does seem clear is that this is a hurricane season the U.S. will find hard to forget. If we are lucky, perhaps we will take the lessons that we
This is a co-authored post by Leon T. Andrews, Jr., director of NLC’s Race, Equity And Leadership (REAL) initiative, and Kiara Aponte, NLC’s REAL intern. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest projection, by 2044 people of color will make up more than half of the U.S. population — meaning that in just 30 years non-Hispanic
This is a guest post by Vice Mayor Wes Bellamy of Charlottesville, Virginia. It’s been a tough month for the city of Charlottesville. As Vice Mayor, as the only African American on the city council and as a person, I know that it will take Charlottesville — and the rest of the country — time
More than 20 city leaders participated on a conference call last week to share their experiences and to express their commitment to stand against hate and bigotry. These local elected officials were joined by national experts, who provided helpful insights and resources. We Stand with Charlottesville Councilmember Kristin Szakos from the city of Charlottesville described
