ProGov21 Policy Library

The Case for Parks and Affordable Housing Joint Development

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level City or Town, County

State(s) California

Source Los Angeles Regional Open Space and Affordable Housing Collaborative

Policy Areas Community Development, Economic Justice, Health, Public Spaces

This guide outlines how coordinating affordable housing development with park expansions can help municipal park agencies serve low-income households without raising concerns about gentrification and displacement. It recommends targeting these coordinated projects in transit-rich...

The Power of Parks to Promote Health

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2023

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source The Trust for Public Land

Policy Areas Community Development, Health, Public Spaces

Parks and natural spaces promote mental, physical, and environmental wellbeing, and many parks departments are leveraging parks and recreational resources to improve health outcomes. This report outlines the benefits of preserving access to parks and green spaces and provides policy...

The Excellent City Park System: What Makes it Great and How to Get There

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2013

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source The Trust for Public Land

Policy Areas Community Development, Economic Justice, Public Spaces

This report outlines best practices for effective park development and recommends that cities take inventory of their land assets, prioritize park safety and equity, and regularly engage with the public. It also highlights case studies that have implemented successful park development...

Net Zero Energy Roadmap for the City of Burlington, Vermont

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) Vermont

Source City of Burlington, Vermont

Policy Areas Community Development, Energy, Transportation & Mobility

Pollution and energy inefficiency are exacerbating the global climate crisis, but cities can pass local policies to address these issues. The City of Burlington, Vermont launched the net-zero-energy program in 2018 to eliminate fossil fuel use by the ground transportation and heating...

Using Government Procurement to Advance Racial Equity

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2022

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Community Development, Economic Justice, Finance & Procurement

Governments can promote racial equity through procurement and contracting reforms that increase vendor diversity and expand racially equitable service outcomes. This report outlines successful case studies and best practices for developing equitable procurement strategies and recommends...

New Orleans Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) Louisiana

Source City of New Orleans

Policy Areas Community Development, Housing, Public Safety

This ordinance outlines use and design standards for both rental and owner-occupied affordable housing. It requires that at least 10% of units in new developments within eligible zones are made affordable and ensures that these units will incorporate the same design features and have...

A Short Guide to Setting Up a City-Scale Retrofit Program

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2009

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Center on Wisconsin Strategy, Green for All

Policy Areas Energy, Environment & Natural Resources

This policy brief explains how local governments can design and implement retrofitting and/or renovation programs that make homes more energy efficient. It also presents strategies for capturing financial savings from retrofits, creating high-quality green jobs, and ensuring that...

Complete Parks Playbook

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States, Pennsylvania, Texas

Source ChangeLab Solutions

Policy Areas Education, Environment & Natural Resources, Health, Public Spaces

Parks enhance communities by promoting physical, mental, and social health. This guide outlines the 'complete parks approach', which helps local governments promote parks improvements by engaging communities who have historically been overlooked during parks planning discussions,...

The Invisible Crisis: Water Unaffordability in the United States

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2016

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

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

In many communities across the U.S., water is neither safe nor affordable. This report provides best practices for improving water utility safety and affordability, including programs that keep water costs below 2.5% of household income, banning water shutoffs for nonpayment, prioritizing...

Goals for better housing policy

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2018

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Brookings

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Economic Justice, Housing

Equitable housing policies should build safe units, mitigate environmental impacts, reduce barriers to high-opportunity neighborhoods, and supplement incomes for households in need. This article outlines six goals for improving housing equity and availability, including clarifying...

11th Street Bridge Park Equitable Development Plan

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level City or Town

State(s) District of Columbia

Source Building Bridges Across the River

Policy Areas Community Development, Economic Justice, Housing, Public Spaces

The 11th Street Bridge Park will expand pedestrian mobility, incorporate educational resources, and provide a public venue for arts and cultural programming. This equitable development plan outlines the project's community engagement emphasis and highlights its strategies for developing...

Seattle Bicycle Master Plan

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2007

Level City or Town

State(s) Washington

Source Seattle City Council

Policy Areas Community Development, Public Spaces, Transportation & Mobility

The Seattle Bicycle Master Plan outlines the city's plan for tripling the amount of bicycle ridership in the city and implementing new safety measures. This document includes graphics detailing potential bike lane networks, cost estimates, a biannual progress schedule, and more. ...

Stable Rents, Rooted Communities

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2023

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Power Switch Action

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Economic Justice, Housing

Rent stabilization policies are essential to protect tenants from being exploited, displaced, or forced to forgo food, food childcare, or healthcare to cover housing costs. This toolkit outlines how local governments can implement a rent stabilization ordinance that covers as many...

San Diego Municipal Impact Fee Code

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year -

Level City or Town, County

State(s) California

Source City of San Diego

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Finance & Procurement, Public Spaces

This section of San Diego's municipal code establishes regulations for public facilities that are provided by private entities. It outlines permitting requirements for private developers and implements development impact fees which are assessed on new developments to generate revenue...

Green pattern book: using vacant land to create greener neighborhoods in Baltimore

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level City or Town

State(s) Maryland

Source United States Department of Agriculture

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

This guide outlines best practices for converting vacant land into publicly accessible green spaces and parks. It specifically highlights eight "green patterns" or strategies for holding and converting vacant land including establishing temporary green spaces in plots reserved for...

Performance-Based Transit-Oriented Development Typology Guidebook

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2010

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Center for Neighborhood Technology

Policy Areas Transportation & Mobility, Community Development

This report outlines a performance-based typology which communities can use to evaluate the performance of their local transit zones. It includes policy recommendations and case studies that demonstrate the implementation of different typologies. It finds that transit stations in...

Washington D.C. Area Bus Rapid Transit System Expansion

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2023

Level City or Town, County

State(s) District of Columbia, Maryland

Source Montgomery County Maryland

Policy Areas Finance & Procurement, Transportation & Mobility

The collaborative efforts of the Maryland Department of Transportation, the Washington Areat Metro Transit Authority, and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission increased the usage of dedicated lanes for transit and high occupancy vehicles along major highways...

Maximizing Value: A Policy Blueprint to Help Communities Leverage Green Investments

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2011

Level City or Town

State(s) Ohio

Source Policy Matters Ohio

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Economic Justice, Energy

Clean energy policies can create jobs, support local business in green markets, and ensure residents have access to jobs created. This brief guides local governments on how to make the most out of green investments. After reviewing the City of Oberlin's energy use and emissions, several...

Creating Change through Arts, Culture, and Equitable Development

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2017

Level County

State(s) All States

Source PolicyLink

Policy Areas Community Development, Public Spaces, Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Environment & Natural Resources

Collectively, arts and culture enable understanding of the past and envisioning of a shared, more equitable future. In disinvested communities, arts and culture act as tools for equitable development- shaping infrastructure, transportation, access to healthy food, and connecting community...

Bridging the Gap: Creating Income Restricted Housing Through Inclusionary Development

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town

State(s) Massachusetts

Source Boston Planning and Development Agency

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Community Development, Economic Justice, Housing

Boston's Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) bridges the affordability gap faced by households that are ineligible for subsidies but still unable to afford housing. The policy requires developers to include affordable units in their projects or contribute to a city-wide affordable...

Building Green Pathways Out of Poverty

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2010

Level City or Town

State(s) Ohio

Source Policy Matters Ohio

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

This brief provides sustainable workforce development strategies which include driving investment in green energy infrastructure, promoting best value contracting, and creating job training and apprenticeship programs in sustainable industries. It also highlights examples of policies...

A Tale of Two Cities: How Long Beach's Investment in Downtown tourism has Contributed to Poverty Next Door

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

i) Long Beach, CA, continues to struggle with extreme poverty despite the recent gentrification of the city's downtown. This report contextualizes the community's historical economic disparities and recommends that officials and hotel industry leaders improve labor standards, mandate...

Helping Entrepreneurs of Color Grow Their Business

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Initiative for a Competitive Inner City

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice, Civil Rights

Minority-owned businesses play an increasingly important role in the U.S. economy. The nearly one million (996,248) minority-owned businesses with paid employees contribute $1.2 trillion in revenue and eight million jobs to the economy. Minority-owned businesses are especially important...

Massachusetts Inclusionary Zoning Model Bylaw

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2007

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) Massachusetts

Source Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Policy Areas Community Development, Housing

This model law promotes affordable housing by introducing inclusive zoning, incentivizing the construction of affordable housing, and requires certain developments to include at least 10 low-income housing units. It also outlines exemptions and incentives available to developers who...

Maximizing the Earned Income Tax Credit in Your Community

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2004

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source National League of Cities

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Education, Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Children & Families

This report guides City officials in helping eligible residents access and maximize the benefits of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a tax credit for low-to-moderate-income individuals and families. In addition, the report highlights strategies for promoting awareness and outreach,...

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