University of Wisconsin–Madison
Progressive Local Government
For the 21st Century

ProGov21 Policy Library

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Year
Basic Water Utility Management: A Guide for Local Leaders
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2019
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources
Part of a mayor’s job is to understand vital operations of a city, including water utilities and infrastructure. This report presents tools to help mayors understand their water systems and utilities better. In particular, it summarizes the elements of a successful water system, including...
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Integrated Water Management
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2016
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Finance & Procurement
Cities can create a more resilient water system by transitioning to an integrated water management framework (IWM). By creating an IWM and developing a set of principles and the approaches that recognizes water as a resource, cities can manage all water as an asset, whatever form...
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Minneapolis Tenant Voter Welcome
Type Fact Sheet or Infographic
Year 2018
Level City or Town
State(s) Minnesota
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Housing, Public Safety, Democracy & Governance
A notice to new tenants summarizing key voting information including election dates and registration options....
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Child Poverty in the U.S.: What New Census Data Tell Us About Our Youngest Children
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2013
Level County
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Children & Families, Health, Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Education
Almost 22 percent of children are poor. In 2012, over 16 million children in the U.S. were living in poverty according to the official measure, defined as living in families with income under $19,090 for a family of three. This is almost identical to figures for 2011, but an increase...
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Community Advocates in Wilkinsburg, PA, Ensure Every Baby Reaches Their Full Potential
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2021
Level County
State(s) Pennsylvania
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Community Development, Health, Food
Babies in Wilkinsburg, PA suffer from elevated blood lead levels and high mortality rates. In response, the Best Babies Zone (BBZ) Initiative has undergone multiple strategies in Wilkinsburg to improve access to quality health care and transform their educational, economic, and community...
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Paying For Water Systems
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2019
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Finance & Procurement
Many public water utilities struggle to pay for repairs and upgrades necessary to improve energy efficiency, reduce leaks, and prevent infiltration. This brief outlines existing mechanisms to raise these funds as well as promising new methods for public officials to consider. Some...
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Creating a Healthy Food Zone Around Schools
Type Fact Sheet or Infographic
Year 2009
Level County
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Health, Children & Families, Democracy & Governance, Food, Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Education, Community Development, Public Spaces, Transportation & Mobility
Many schools are surrounded by fast food restaurants, which provide students with easy access to unhealthy foods and undermine schools' efforts to offer nutritious meals. Prohibiting fast food restaurants from locating near schools is one strategy to help reduce childhood obesity...
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Ensuring Racial Equity in Public Contracting
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2013
Level County
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Community Development, Public Spaces, Democracy & Governance
Businesses owned by people of color create jobs and build wealth in communities of color. Yet despite rapid growth of entrepreneurship among people of color - and women of color in particular - these businesses face significant barriers to growth and success. Government spending on...
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Leading With Transit: How City Leadership on Transit Can Create More Equitable, Sustainable, and Economically Vibrant Cities
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2018
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Transportation & Mobility
This brief focuses on what cities can do to create equitable and efficient transit that benefits everyone. An equitable transit system must be safe, convenient, affordable, and accessible; responsive to community needs; and integrated with other policy areas. Moreover, it outlines...
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The Power of Sustainable Purchasing
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2018
Level County
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance, Environment & Natural Resources, Energy
Companies, governments, and institutions of all kinds purchase goods and services for their own use. But what they buy - and how they buy it - has a significant impact on local communities, the environment, and the economy - and in some unexpected ways, on the success of the business...
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Building Resiliency: The Role of Anchor Institutions in Sustaining Community Economic Development
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2013
Level County
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Education, Health, Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Environment & Natural Resources, Children & Families
Chester, Pennsylvania, a small, formerly industrial city located on the Delaware River, not far from Philadelphia, exemplifies the problems and possibilities faced by older manufacturing cities across the United States, especially in the Northeast and Midwest. Chester's problems of...
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Model Ordinance: Divestment from Fossil Fuel Companies
Type Model Law
Year 2014
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Environment & Natural Resources, Energy
This act requires that a municipal public fund create a list of fossil fuel companies that match specific criteria, divest all holdings from the companies on this list over a 3-year period, and reinvest funds in socially responsible investments that satisfy prudent person standards....
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A Divest & Invest Guide for Local Governments
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2019
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources
It is up to local governments to lead the nation’s fight against climate change. Cities reduce emissions, make infrastructure less vulnerable, and coordinate with other local governments to amplify their impact. This report presents a toolbox of measures that cities can take to combat...
Setting the Agenda: A Mayor's Guide to Water Affordability
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2019
Level City or Town, County
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources
This brief provides a roadmap to consider water affordability programs as a means to address aging and failing water infrastructure and diminishing access to clean and affordable water. The brief describes best practices and innovative solutions so that utilities can address the aging...
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Promoting Access to Healthy, Local Food
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2012
Level County
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Health, Children & Families, Democracy & Governance, Food
Within cities, residents face stark disparities in their access to fresh, healthy produce, with low-income communities often the most affected by this limited access. Inequitable access to food perpetuates poor health outcomes among low-income populations and undermines efforts to...
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Portland Sustainable Procurement Policy
Type Ordinance
Year 2018
Level City or Town
State(s) Oregon
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance, Environment & Natural Resources, Energy, Transportation & Mobility
The products and services the City of Portland purchases have inherent social, human health, environmental, and economic impacts. As such, the City is committed to understanding and taking appropriate responsibility for the impacts of its purchasing by establishing a Sustainable Procurement...
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Divestment from Fossil Fuels: A Guide for City Officials and Activists
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2013
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Energy
This policy brief finds that climate change represents the single greatest long-term threat to our cities and citizens. Because of this threat, the brief recommends cities to not invest in companies that profit from fossil fuels, the main cause of climate change. The policy brief...
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Actionable Solutions for Public Water Systems
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2019
Level City or Town, County
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Health, Finance & Procurement, Data & Technology
Cities face a host of challenges in maintaining their water systems and supplying their communities with clean drinking water, and protecting environmental and human health through effective wastewater and stormwater management. This report is is a comprehensive guide outlining best...
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Raising Wage & Benefit Standards
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2021
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Economic Justice
This guide differentiates between the various types of paid leave (i.e. sick, medical, family, and parental leave) and highlights their respective benefits. It discusses options cities can take to enact local paid leave legislation, such as enacting ordinances that expand coverage...
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Local Government Green Procurement Guide
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2010
Level City or Town
State(s) California
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Environment & Natural Resources, Finance & Procurement, Energy
Decisions made by local governments play a significant role in California's demand for natural resources and the associated pollution, air emissions, and waste from use of those resources. One important way local governments can reduce their impact on human health and the environment...
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The 2018 Kinder Houston Area Survey: Tracking responses to income inequalities, demographic transformations, and threatening storms
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2018
Level City or Town
State(s) Texas
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Education, Housing, Public Safety, Energy, Health, Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance, Transportation & Mobility
This report examines Houston attitudes about flooding, education, the local economy, equal opportunity, immigration, sex and gender, climate change, and trust....
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Setting the Agenda: A Mayor’s Guide to Water Affordability
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2019
Level City or Town, County
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Environment & Natural Resources, Community Development
It is becoming more difficult for families to access clean and affordable water due to aging water infrastructure systems, climate change, and the rising cost of living. This report outlines best practices and innovative solutions mayors can adopt to ensure that residents have equitable...
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Anchor Collaboratives: Creating Mutually Beneficial Relationships
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2022
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice
This report examines how local communities can partner with anchor institutions to establish progressive agendas for community and economic development. Anchor institutions -like hospitals, universities, or airports-are typically the largest employers within a community, and their...
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Transformational Leadership
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2022
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Community Development, Democracy & Governance
This report offers a guide to implementing lasting cultural change within local government structures. Included in the report are tools to evaluate the municipal government culture, a framework to assess and implement change, a rubric for self-assessing local governance culture, and...
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How Salt Lake City Increased Equitable Access to Healthier Foods for Kids
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2021
Level City or Town
State(s) Utah
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Health, Children & Families, Food
Salt Lake City tackled issues of fresh and healthy food availability via Resident Food Equity Advisors. Their goal was to create an equitable community food system that increased access to healthy, organic, and culturally relevant foods for historically underrepresented and underserved...
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