Urban Issues
Bring back the city education liaison
February 19, 2022
From UACT President Sheila Stocks-Smith: As the city’s education liaison, I provided advice and counsel to the mayor and municipal leaders on educational priorities; developed and supported partnerships between city departments, schools and community groups; represented the mayor’s office on national,... Read more...Housing advocates, renters struggle to stay ahead of a rising tide of evictions
February 19, 2022
For much of the pandemic, evictions court was not busy, due to dual state and federal bans on evictions to curb homelessness as COVID spread. But in the two months since’ Illinois’ moratorium on evictions expired, Room 6C has filled... Read more...Site of deadly Springfield shooting could become business innovation hub
February 19, 2022
The Springfield Project is hoping to help grow and build businesses benefiting the entire community. More specifically, officials want to acquire a vacant building located on 1100 South Grand Ave. It was formerly a beauty supply store. Read more...
Calgary project turns kids into urban planners to improve school commutes
February 19, 2022
Students at four Calgary schools had the opportunity to re-imagine how their school streets would look in a perfect world. And now, their designs will come to life this spring. Read more...Public libraries across the U.S. are taking note of this Richmond-area branch’s parent-and-child-friendly design
February 19, 2022
Janelle Witcher thinks of the library as her second home. She’s a single mom who lives in Richmond, and a few times a week, she drives her four children to Henrico County’s Fairfield branch. It’s a place where her children... Read more...Pedestrians in Peoria complete their mission walking every street in the city
February 19, 2022
The Pedestrians in Peoria, Mary Hosbrough and Jennifer Jacobsen-Wood, began the project two years ago in November 2019, right before the pandemic caused shutdowns across the country. Now, the duo said they have officially completed walking the city’s 1,439 streets,... Read more...
Low-wage workers prop up the nursing home industry. They’re quitting in droves.
February 19, 2022
Frustration is surging among the low-wage workers who make up the backbone of the nursing home industry, as tens of thousands of their colleagues call out sick with covid-19, inflaming shortages that already were at crisis levels. Hailed as “heroes”... Read more...Cities love to use Tax Increment Financing to boost development. Should they?
February 19, 2022
Tax Increment Financing. Local governments often hail this tool as a way to revitalize investment-deprived neighborhoods, fix dilapidated roads, clean up polluted waters, revamp blighted property, and foster commercial activity and job creation. It’s often poorly understood by city taxpayers, but it... Read more...Five Low Cost Ideas to Make Your City Wealthier
February 19, 2022
What we have not figured out—and what we won’t figure out with another flood of federal infrastructure spending—is how to translate maintenance into growth. How do we go out and fill potholes and fix leaking pipes and have that result... Read more...