By Leslie Vasquez, Mayors Innovation Project While violent crime has declined recently in many cities, summer months can still bring seasonal spikes in violence that disproportionately affect young people. At the same time, summer school …
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From Community Roots to City Leadership: Mayor Adena Ishii’s Vision to Build a Stronger, More Equitable Berkeley
By: Mary Carr Lee, Mayors Innovation Project Mayor Adena Ishii is the first Asian American and first woman of color to serve as Mayor of Berkeley, CA. Representing and leading a city of approximately 125,000 …
Holding the Line on Community: Somerville Mayor Jake Wilson on Housing, Growth, and the Future of the City
By: Mary Carr Lee, Mayors Innovation Project When Jake Wilson became mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts, he stepped into office at a moment when many mid-sized American cities were confronting the same pressures: rising housing costs, …
A Historic First, A Forward Vision: Mayor Connie Boesen on the Future of Des Moines
By: Mary Carr Lee, Mayors Innovation Project Connie Boesen’s election as the first woman to lead Iowa’s Capitol city is both a historic milestone and a call to action. She views her role not just …
The Balancing Act: Mayor Michael Sutphin’s Vision for a Changing Blacksburg
By: Mary Carr Lee, Mayors Innovation Project Blacksburg, Virginia, sits at a unique crossroads where a historic Appalachian town meets the fast growing influence of Virginia Tech. Guiding the community through this moment of change …
5 Considerations for Your City’s Data Center Strategy
By Chloe Sieman and Katya Spear, Mayors Innovation Project As municipalities across the country are courted by tech giants promising innovation and investment, a growing body of data suggests the long-term reality may not match …
Supporting Youth and Families with Public Summer Childcare and Afterschool Care
By Chloe Sieman, UW-Madison Senior, Major: International Studies and Public Policy Today, 4.2 million children nationwide lack access to child care, exacerbated in regions of low average property value and high rates of poverty, disparately …
Beyond the Classroom: How Cities Can Support Students’ Needs
By Kylah Kehoe, UW-Madison Freshman, Major: Economics and Political Science Across the board, costs continue to rise for college students. As young people living away from home for the first time, college students may be …
Member City Spotlight: Sterling, IL
By Quincy Midthun, Mayors Innovation Project April marks Fair Housing Month, a time to celebrate the landmark passing of the Fair Housing Act which aimed to eliminate discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of …
Community over Corporations: The importance of spending public dollars locally
By Quincy Midthun, Mayors Innovation Project A recent report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) found that municipalities have increased their spending with Amazon nearly fourfold since 2016. From standard office supplies like pens …