Advisory Council Activities
The CityFutures Program is an NLC initiative that helps municipal officials connect public and policy discussions to the reality of what is happening in America?s cities and towns. Significant economic, demographic, and other changes are transforming the contexts in which municipal governments function. It is important to look beyond the immediate day-to-day issues in order to understand the current and future trends and changes and use this knowledge to improve what governments do and how they do it. The Program seeks to strengthen government by providing new perspectives on public issues and by challenging current assumptions.
Advisory Council Members (along with the CityFutures Panels) are part of the NLC CityFutures Program. The Advisory Council focuses on two major responsibilities: (1) to conduct assessments of trends and changes occurring in the nation?s cities and towns and, (2) at the request of NLC Vice Presidents, they will explore an issue or issues of interest and concern for NLC. In addition the Advisory Council members carry out individual roles supporting NLC?s goals in advocacy, communications, and membership.
Economic Vitality
In 2005, the Advisory Council began its focus on Economic Vitality ? a topic which emerged as a top priority during the "trends and changes" assessment (described below) that the Advisory Council and many NLC leadership groups conducted in 2003 and 2004. In June, NLC conducted the NLC Forum on Economic Vitality, a joint meeting of 150 local elected leaders from 11 NLC leadership groups in Denver, Colorado. Since the Forum, NLC passed two NLC Board Resolutions; sent a letter from 2005 NLC President Anthony Williams, Mayor, Washington, D.C. to President George W. Bush calling for a National Summit on Economic Vitality; provided testimony by NLC Executive Director Don Borut to the Congressional Saving America's Cities Working Group; and prepared a draft paper setting a framework on Economic Vitality.
This year, the Advisory Council has continued its work on Economic Vitality at meetings in March and May. In December, at the Congress of Cities in Reno, NV, the Advisory Council will release the 2006 Futures Report, Economic Vitality: Your City's Success in a Changing Economy. In addition to the Futures Report, the Advisory Council has recommended a series of workshops on Economic Vitality, as well as supporting take-away information at each workshop.
Click here to go to the Economic Vitality web page.
Trends and Changes Assessment
In July 2003, the NLC Advisory Council embraced a new charge by the Board of Directors to guide NLC?s leadership committees and groups, as well as the full membership, in examining the major trends and changes affecting America?s cities and towns today and in years to come. The goals are: to gain a better understanding of trends and changes affecting America?s cities; to help shape NLC activities and programs so they reflect members concerns, interests, and objectives; and to produce real outcomes for cities and towns that affect federal policies, strengthen the ability of municipal officials to serve their communities, and inform and shape policy debates and public discussion.
With input from many NLC leadership groups and committees, the Advisory Council identified Public Finance as a priority trend and recommended to the Board of Directors (who agreed) that this topic should become a CityFutures Initiative in December 2003. In 2004, the Advisory Council identified several topics as preliminary focus areas for more research and exploration through the coming year: Public Safety; Economic Vitality; and Governance, Civic Engagement and Trust. The Advisory Council selected the topic of Economic Vitality in 2005 and continues with this topic throughout 2006. Click here for more information on each of these topics.
For more general information on trends affecting the nation?s cities and towns, visit the NLC?s Trends web page. In addition, NLC?s CityFutures Panels are working to help identify and address emerging challenges.
President?s Agenda
The President's Agenda is a three-year cycle of work is devoted to the agenda topic chosen by the NLC Second Vice President. If an NLC Second Vice President chooses to select an agenda topic, the information is developed during the first year of the cycle. Members of the Advisory Council and a diverse group of experts meet with the Second Vice President to help identify specific issues within the agenda topic and focus the scope of inquiry. During the second year, the Advisory Council develops the important themes and target points to be conveyed. The topic is researched and reported to both the Board of Directors and NLC?s membership in the form of the Futures Report and/or companion pieces. In the third year of the cycle, the NLC President implements the chosen agenda through an array of NLC activities.
Futures Reports 1991-2006
Below is a list of all past Futures Reports, in pdf files when available. To obtain published copies of these reports contact Katie Seeger by phone at (202) 626-3131 or via e-mail: seeger@nlc.org.
Nation?s Cities Weekly Articles
To read more about recent Advisory Council activities, see the following articles from NLC?s weekly newspaper:
Advisory Council Addresses Economic Vitality Issues
by Melissa Germanese and William H. Woodwell Jr.
Posted: May 22, 2006
by William H. Woodwell Jr.
by William H. Woodwell Jr.