ProGov21 Policy Library

Parks: The Hidden Economic Engine of Cities

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2024

Level City or Town

State(s) All States, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Texas

Source Mayors Innovation Project

Policy Areas Community Development, Economic Justice, Environment & Natural Resources, Housing

A significant number of people, including children, lack access to a park within a 10-minute walk from their homes. Investment in parks is linked to economic vitality, job growth, and development rates. Cities should invest in public green spaces to provide accessible parks for all...

THE CITY OF CHICAGO EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (ETOD) POLICY PLAN

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level City or Town

State(s) Illinois

Source City of Chicago

Policy Areas Community Development, Economic Justice, Health, Housing, Transportation & Mobility

This report identifies inequitable transit-oriented development (TOD) in Chicago, which has exacerbated racial and economic disparities, as a critical concern. To address this, the City can adopt the Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) Policy Plan, designed to ensure that...

Good Intentions vs. Effective Outcomes: An Analysis of Selected New Mexico Tax Incentives

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2017

Level State

State(s) New Mexico

Source Good Jobs First

Policy Areas Economic Justice

Tax incentives given in the name of economic development are the dominant form of spending for job creation in New Mexico; these types of tax incentives are also the least transparent and most poorly monitored. Thus, in response to New Mexico’s costly, ineffective, and insufficiently...

Building Back Better Means Raising Wages for Public-Sector Workers

Type Article

Year 2022

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Economic Policy Institute

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice, Finance & Procurement

Local governments can use federal recovery funding to invest in their workforces and prevent employee turnover. This article examines public-sector employee wage data and finds that increasing wages for local government employees can mitigate gender and racial pay gaps. It highlights...

Local and Targeted Hiring

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2018

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source PolicyLink

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance

Economic recovery is not returning to all communities equally: the unemployment rate for White workers is down to nearly 4 percent nationally, while the unemployment rate for Black workers is more than double that. This disparity in employment is not an anomaly of our current economy,...

Anchor Collaboratives: Building Bridges With Place-Based Partnerships and Anchor Institutions

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source The Democracy Collaborative

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Community Development

Anchor institutions are nonprofit or public place-based entities, such as universities and hospitals, that are rooted in their local community by mission, invested capital, or relationships to customers, employees, residents and vendors. An increasing number of anchor institutions...

Career Pathways & Equity Policy Recommendations

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2022

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Welcoming America

Policy Areas Community Development, Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice, Finance & Procurement

Localities should pursue equity-focused workforce development strategies that expand career opportunities and mitigate discriminatory hiring practices. This policy toolkit offers strategies for expanding access to career pathways programs, implementing local procurement strategies...

2011 Los Angeles Ordinance 181520 Establishing Targeted Hiring Requirements

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2011

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source Council of the City of Los Angeles

Policy Areas Economic Justice

This ordinance requires Los Angeles' Board of Public Works to approve a project labor agreement that includes provisions to promote the hiring of local residents, apprentices, and disadvantaged workers (i.e. unemployed and under-employed workers). City public works contracts are subject...

Parking Reform Made Easy

Type Article

Year 2013

Level City or Town, State

State(s) California

Source Richard Willson

Policy Areas Community Development, Transportation & Mobility

Excessive and inefficient parking requirements in zoning ordinances have led to the overbuilding and underutilization of parking spaces, contributing to sprawling developments and wasted land. Localities should reform parking requirements by examining local planning characteristics,...

Best Value Contracting and Public Works Contracts

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2010

Level County

State(s) Wisconsin

Source City Of Madison Engineering Division

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance

Best Value Contracting creates a set of enforceable qualifications with a single point of accountability, pervormance qualifications, workforce development, oversight and transparency on publicly funded projects....

Community Wealth-Building Models: Opportunities to Bolster Local Ownership

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level National

State(s) All States

Source Urban Institute

Policy Areas Community Development, Economic Justice

Inequities in access to capital and investment opportunities continue to affect Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities. To address this, community wealth-building models can be implemented to increase asset ownership and allow for community-led investment decisions. These models...

White Street and Springfield Avenue Corridors Analysis

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2010

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Center for Neighborhood Technology

Policy Areas Transportation & Mobility, Economic Justice, Environment & Natural Resources

This report examines opportunities to improve transit connectivity, economic development, and sustainability in the Urbana-Champaign region. It outlines planning procedures, zoning guidelines, transit-oriented development opportunities, and market analysis results for the White Street...

The Raise the Wage Act Would Support Essential Care Workers

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level National

State(s) All States

Source Economic Policy Institute

Policy Areas Community Development, Economic Justice

Essential care workers would benefit from the Raise the Wage Act, and the $15 per hour minimum wage it would establish. This report illustrates the impact of this legislation on various demographics, locations, and industries....

New Directions in Racial and Economic Justice: How California’s Worker Centers Are Bringing Worker Power into Workforce Development

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2022

Level State

State(s) California

Source UCLA Labor Center

Policy Areas Economic Justice

The traditional public workforce development system has struggled to serve California's most marginalized workers. Worker centers, community-based organizations created by and for BIPOC and immigrant workers in low-wage industries, provide an alternative approach to workforce development...

Tax Breaks and Inequality: Enriching Billionaires and Low-Road Employers in the Name of Economic Development

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2014

Level County

State(s) All States

Source Good Jobs First

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Community Development, Finance & Procurement

The intensification of economic inequality, one of the defining issues of our times, has many causes, ranging from the weakening of labor unions to the decimation of inheritance taxes. This report argues that another factor belongs on the list: subsidies given by state and local governments...

Forward Downtown and River Action Plan

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level City or Town

State(s) Michigan

Source City of Grand Rapids

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Housing, Community Development, Public Spaces, Transportation & Mobility, Education, Environment & Natural Resources

The GR Forward plan is a community engagement initiative to promote equitable economic growth and shared benefits across the Grand Rapids community. The brief outlines the city's plans for promoting transit-oriented development, increasing recreation opportunities, improving job quality...

Ensuring the High Road in Cannabis

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level National

State(s) All States

Source Economic Policy Institute

Policy Areas Economic Justice

As federal and state governments move toward marijuana legalization, labor conditions within the industry need to be evaluated. Currently, many of the employers in the marijuana industry take a "low road" approach to their workforce, with low wages, poor to no benefits, and frequent...

2001 Wales First Source Hiring and Local Business Enterprise Policy

Type Act or Session Law

Year 2001

Level City or Town

State(s) New York

Source Wales Town Board

Policy Areas Community Development, Public Spaces, Economic Justice, Civil Rights

An act requiring that for city-assisted development projects, developers and employers of the built business are required to hire 30% local residents, or make efforts to do so....

A Roadmap to Inclusive Entrepreneurship

Type Roadmap

Year 2021

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source National League of Cities

Policy Areas Community Development, Economic Justice

Historically marginalized residents face inequities in managing businesses, access to capital, and access to networks, widening our country's racial wealth gap and shrinking economic potential. This roadmap helps city leaders take actionable steps to improve racial and social equity...

Building Opportunity: Investing in our Future through a Port Construction Careers Policy

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2009

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Transportation & Mobility

Proposed investment in the Port of Los Angeles would create thousands of new construction jobs and boost the city's overall economy. This report provides analysis of existing economic conditions in the region and explains how a "Construction Careers Policy" would ensure equitable...

Basic Income in Cities: A Guide to City Experiments and Pilot Projects

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source National League of Cities

Policy Areas Economic Justice

Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a cash payment granted to all members of a community on a regular basis, regardless of employment status or income level. This guide provides recommendations to cities looking to pilot UBI policies. In particular, it provides tips on how cities should...

Raising the Minimum Wage to $10.10: A Win-Win for Rhode Island Workers and the Economy

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2013

Level City or Town

State(s) Rhode Island

Source The Economic Progress Institute

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights

This brief outlines results from the Economic Policy Institute's study on the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 by 2015. It finds that raising the minimum wage will dually improve the economic well-being of Rhode Islanders and strengthen...

Teaching the Teachers of Our Youngest Children: The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in Maryland

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level State

State(s) Maryland

Source Center for the Study of Child Care Employment

Policy Areas Children & Families, Economic Justice, Education

Early childhood education preparation varies widely across the higher education industry. Multiple programs with differing curriculums suggest similar outcomes but produce highly variable levels of preparedness. This report focuses on the education landscape of early-childhood-education...

The American Rescue Plan: Recommendations for Addressing Early Educator Compensation and Supports

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2022

Level National

State(s) All States

Source Center for the Study of Child Care Employment

Policy Areas Children & Families, Economic Justice, Education

Throughout the nation, early childhood educators are struggling to meet ends meet. With the passing of the American Rescue Plan Act, unprecedented funding opportunities exist to meet the wage gap of underfunded and underpaid educators. This report contains policy suggestions that...

2006 Chicago Big Box Living Wage and Benefits Ordinance

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2006

Level City or Town

State(s) Illinois

Source Chicago City Council

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights

This ordinance requires all large retail employers to provide employees an hourly compensation package with a total value of no less than the sum of the living wage rate and the benefits rate for each hour that the employee works on the premises of a large retailer. Beginning on July...

ProGov21 Policy Library

Remove Entry

There was an error communicating with the server.

There was an error while saving your data.

Error

Update Page Content

You are leaving the page