ProGov21 Policy Library

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...

A Guide to Evaluating Pay for Success Programs and Social Impact Bonds

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source In the Public Interest

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Finance & Procurement

Pay for Success (PFS), or Social Impact Bonds (SIBs), are an alternative private financing model often promoted as cost-free, risk-free silver bullets to support underfunded public services. In PFS and SIB funding models, investors provide the up-front funding for services with the...

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...

Fiscal First Aid for School Districts: Additional Considerations for School Districts

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level School District

State(s) All States

Source Government Finance Officers Association

Policy Areas Health, Children & Families, Education

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, schools are tasked with providing a quality education to their students, along with ensuring their safety and welfare, regardless if classes are being held in-person or virtually. Additionally, schools must adjust to the economic ramifications brought...

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....

Downtowns, Greenfields and Places In Between: Promoting Development Near Transit

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2013

Level City or Town

State(s) Colorado, Minnesota, North Carolina

Source Center for Transit-Oriented Development

Policy Areas Community Development, Transportation & Mobility

This report is a follow-up to a previous study by the Center for Transit-Oriented Development (CTOD), Rails to Real Estate: Development Patterns Along Three Recently Constructed Rail Lines. It revisits the three regions explored in Rails to Real Estate to take a closer look at where...

Memphis Blues: How Corporate Property Tax Breaks and Stadium Subsidies are Sapping the City’s Fiscal Strength

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2014

Level City or Town

State(s) Tennessee

Source Good Jobs First

Policy Areas -

The City of Memphis has deliberately avoided its municipal pension obligations at the same time it has granted a series of costly property tax abatements, such as payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs), to large corporations and sports franchises. For every year between 2009 and 2012,...

Energizing Prosperity: Renewable Energy and Re-Industrialization

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2008

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Economic Policy Institute

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

This report evaluates in detail the renewable energy laws of Nevada and Michigan, discusses the progress made, missed opportunities, and bad implementation. It also discusses the threats that climate change and de-industrialization as an economic development pose against energy security...

PACE Guide: Working with Community Leaders

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2016

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source PACENation

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

Community leaders care most about an issue when their own constituents are involved. Having local property owners voice an interest in PACE is a great way to get the attention of a government board. Form partnerships with stakeholders in the community through chambers of commerce...

LIFT-UP: Innovative City Strategy Reduces Utility Debt and Financial Insecurity for Residents

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year -

Level City or Town

State(s) Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Texas

Source National League of Cities

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Finance & Procurement

This report outlines the impact of the Local Interventions for Financial Empowerment Through Utility Payments initiative (LIFT-UP) which helped cities connect citizens to financial services while recouping revenue from unpaid utility bills. It found that residents who participated...

How Circular Economies Will Drive a New Urban Metabolism

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Meeting Of The Minds

Policy Areas Energy, Transportation & Mobility, Finance & Procurement

Although the traditional linear economy brought much prosperity, it has functioned by taking primary resources, turning them into products, and disposing of the waste. In the face of the global climate change crisis, cities need to transit to circular economy. In a city with a circular...

The Innovative DOT: A Handbook of Policy and Practice

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level State

State(s) All States

Source State Smart Transportation Initiative

Policy Areas Community Development, Transportation & Mobility

Due to limited resources and funding, state departments of transportation (DOTs) struggle to achieve their goals of improving safety, alleviating congestion, reducing environmental impacts, and helping to create healthier, more livable neighborhoods. In response to these challenges,...

Local Income Taxes: City- and County-Level Income and Wage Taxes Continue to Wane

Type Article

Year 2011

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Tax Foundation

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Finance & Procurement

This article outlines different types of local income taxes and highlights localities that have recently implemented significant changes to their income tax codes. It recommends that local governments implement moderate income tax rates and mitigate compliance costs to secure investment...

Willing to Work and Ready to Learn: More Adult Education Would Strengthen Michigan's Economy

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level State

State(s) Michigan

Source Michigan League for Public Policy

Policy Areas Community Development, Education

State policymakers consistently neglect adequately funding adult education, making it less accessible for low-skilled workers who want to build their skills, become financially self-sufficient and contribute to Michigan’s economy. Adult education is the key to preparing these workers...

A Plan for the Next Economic Transformation

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2012

Level City or Town

State(s) Arizona

Source Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Business Planning Strategy Development Sessions

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice, Civil Rights

This report offers an overview of the city of Phoenix's asset map and economic development strategy. The Greater Phoenix market is experiencing rapid growth and has outpaced national and other top metropolitan areas in terms of GMP and job growth. However, the region's economic performance...

The New Math on School Finance: Adding Up the First-Ever Disclosure of Corporate Tax Abatements’ Cost to Public Education

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level City or Town, State, School District

State(s) All States

Source Good Jobs First

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Education

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement 77 requires most state and local government bodies, including school districts, to annually disclose the costs of corporate tax abatements. As a result of the new rule, thousands of America’s public school districts are...

The Limits of Microtransit

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Transit Center

Policy Areas Transportation & Mobility, Finance & Procurement

Microtransit involves running on-demand services with smaller vehicles that people can summon without walking to a fixed location like a bus stop. This brief argues that microtransit is incapable of serving the same scale of ridership as fixed-route buses and trains. Microtransit...

How Green Banks Help Cities Transition to Clean Energy

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Meeting Of The Minds

Policy Areas Energy

In the face of climate change crisis, it is urgent for policymakers at state, local, and city level to make transition to clean and renewable energy. However, the construction of renewable projects is usually capital-intensive and requires bank’s upfront investment. Green banks help...

Planning for Arts and Culture in San Diego

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source Meeting Of The Minds

Policy Areas Community Development

The San Diego Chapter of the American Planning Association, in partnership with MIG San Diego, recently launched a new program called SDAPA Better Buzz, a quarterly series designed to inspire creative thinking around integrated planning processes. Rather than relying solely on this...

Equity New Orleans: The Road to Equitable Government

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2017

Level City or Town

State(s) Louisiana

Source Equity New Orleans

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Education, Democracy & Governance, Health

EquityNewOrleans is a citywide initiative of the Office of Mayor Mitch Landrieu funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. In partnership with the Foundation for Louisiana, EquityNewOrleans assessed the role of equity in City government using a data-driven process that prioritizes stakeholder...

Detroit Future City

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2012

Level City or Town

State(s) Michigan

Source Detroit City Clerk Office

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance, Community Development, Public Spaces, Transportation & Mobility

The Detroit Strategic Framework aims to create an inclusive, transparent, and accountable approach to shaping Detroit's future. This brief provides a framework for understanding the city's assets and incporates evidence-based recommendations for reforming Detroit's economy. To address...

Building Blocks: Understanding and responding to Waukesha County’s housing affordability challenges

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2023

Level City or Town, County

State(s) Wisconsin

Source Wisconsin Policy Forum

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Economic Justice, Housing

This report examines market characteristics and barriers to affordable and workforce housing development in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. It outlines the extent of affordable housing development in the county over past years, financing approaches, and best practices for increasing the...

San Francisco Values: The New Social Compact

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2009

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source U.C. Berkeley Center For Labor Research and Education

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Health, Finance & Procurement

This paper evaluates the large number of progressive policies the city of San Francisco has enacted in the last decade. This includes increased labor protections, enhanced union rights, local earned income tax credits, and a universal health access program....

Municipal Liens: Procedures for Filing, Perfecting, and Collecting

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2011

Level City or Town

State(s) Illinois

Source Illinois Municipal League

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice, Finance & Procurement, Housing, Public Spaces

This guide provides an overview of liens available to municipalities under Illinois state law and provides examples of how cities should assess and enforce liens. Properties that are abandoned or liable for taxes, require excessive pest extermination efforts, or intensive removal...

Economic Benefits of Parks

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2011

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States, Pennsylvania

Source We Conserve PA

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

This guide examines economic impact studies of public parks, and finds parks provide many economic benefits to their surrounding communities, including increased property values, increased tax revenues, decreased medical costs due to recreational opportunities, and decreased stormwater...

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