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

ProGov21 Policy Library

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Year
Comfort K9 Program Overview
Type Fact Sheet or Infographic
Year 2024
Level City or Town
State(s) Illinois
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Community Development, Public Safety
Innovative community engagement can build positive relationships between law enforcement and the people they serve. This fact sheet describes the Comfort K9 program developed in Sterling, IL, and how Brinkley and Millie became beloved figures in the community....
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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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Harnessing the Economic Power of Anchor Institutions
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2014
Level County
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance, Education, Health, Environment & Natural Resources, Children & Families
This report examines the economic power of anchor institutions in addressing economic disparities and creating opportunities for low-income residents. Anchor institutions are influential organizations, such as universities and hospitals, deeply embedded in local communities. The report...
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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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Model Resolution Declaring a City's Commitment to Not Invest in Fossil Fuels
Type Ordinance or Resolution
Year 2014
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Energy
This resolution applies to cities that do not currently invest in fossil fuel stock. It declares the intent of a city without fossil fuel investments to refrain from investing in fossil fuel companies in the future....
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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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Creating an Affordable Housing Ecosystem
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2024
Level City or Town, National
State(s) California, Vermont
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Community Development, Housing
Access to affordable housing in urban areas is limited, leading to economic disparities and concentrations of poverty. Communities can enhance economic development and sustainability by distributing affordable housing and job opportunities more equitably. This presentation by The...
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Re-Thinking the Urban Freeway: Options for Rebuilding, Replacing, Altering or Otherwise Addressing Aging Freeways
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2013
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Community Development, Public Spaces, Transportation & Mobility
Urban freeways create barriers to movement within cities, institutionalize social inequities, contribute to environmental degradation, and encourage suburban sprawl. As urban freeways approach the end of their useful lives, decisions on the fate of an individual freeway will be place...
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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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Creating an Affordable Housing Ecosystem
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2024
Level City or Town
State(s) All States, Tennessee
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Community Development, Housing
The housing burden, exacerbated by the expiration of pandemic-era relief measures and rising inflation, has made it difficult for local governments to keep people housed despite rapid new housing developments. Access to affordable housing in urban areas is limited, leading to economic...
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Addressing Health Disparities in Cities: Lessons from the Field
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2015
Level County
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Health, Children & Families, Democracy & Governance, Food, Environment & Natural Resources, Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Education, Community Development, Public Spaces, Transportation & Mobility
A child's health is a key predictor for his or her future success and well-being. Unfortunately, far too many children face barriers that prevent them from reaching their full potential because of where they live, learn and play. The inequitable distribution of social, economic and...
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Protecting the right to vote
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2020
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Democracy & Governance
Community members face barriers to voter registration, which prevent them from fully participating in the democratic process. Local elected officials can host voter registration drives, advertise election information, facilitate vote-at-home by mail, and encourage government employees...
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Portland Sustainable Procurement Policy
Type Ordinance or Resolution
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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Community Design and Policies for Free-Range Children: Creating Environments That Support Routine Physical Activity
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2012
Level County
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Health, Children & Families, Food, Community Development, Transportation & Mobility
This report outlines four key factors that promote routine physical activity: compact land use, comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian networks, inviting site designs, and prioritizing user safety. To address physical inactivity and childhood obesity, this report suggests inclusive...
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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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The Effects of Wal-Mart on Local Labor Markets
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2008
Level County
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Economic Justice
In response to a policy debate, this report finds that the opening of a Walmart store in a county leads to a reduction in county-level retail employment by approximately 150 workers, implying that each Walmart worker replaces around 1.4 retail workers, resulting in a 2.7 percent decrease...
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Toil for oil spells danger for majors: Unsustainable dynamics mean oil majors need to become "energy majors"
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2014
Level County
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Finance & Procurement, Environment & Natural Resources, Energy
The global oil market has undergone profound structural changes in the last decade that have now culminated in a capex crisis for the industry, particularly the oil majors....
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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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Promoting Access to Healthy, Local Food: A Guide for Local Governments
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2012
Level City or Town
State(s) All States
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Community Development, Food, Health
This report addresses the disparities in access to fresh, healthy food within cities. In order to improve public health and benefit the local economy, city governments can use strategies like farmers markets, community supported agriculture, and urban agriculture programs to increase...
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Election 2024: Voting Rights and Access
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2024
Level City or Town, National
State(s) Colorado, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Democracy & Governance
A healthy democracy depends on high engagement and a representation of diverse viewpoints, but systemic barriers continue to perpetuate inequities in local elections. Local officials should create and implement Democracy Plans, enhance voter engagement through education, offer registration...
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Minority and Women Entrepreneurs: Building Capital, Networks, and Skills
Type Policy Brief or Report
Year 2015
Level County
State(s) All States, Wyoming
Source Mayors Innovation Project
Policy Areas Community Development, Public Spaces, Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Education
The United States has an enviable entrepreneurial culture and a track record of building new companies. Yet new and small business owners often face particular challenges, including lack of access to capital, insufficient business networks for peer support, investment, and business...
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