Municipal Action Guides

Municipal Action Guides provide helpful background information on various topics in a new concise format intended to offer guidance to municipal officials faced with decisions.  Each Municipal Action Guide is designed to: identify a current challenge, outline strategies for addressing the challenge, list action steps that can be taken, include examples of effective city practices and programs, and identify other resources that are available.  Please feel free to use one or more of these electronic copies in any way you might find helpful.

Click on the following links to download the Municipal Action Guides published to date:

Economic Opportunity & Vitality
City-Developer Relations: Working Together Toward Successful Redevelopment 
Downtown Revitalization: A Gateway to Local Economic Development 
Strengthening Your Local Workforce
Building on Your City's Economic Strengths 
Building Partnerships for Economic Vitality 

Equity & Inclusiveness
Supporting Foster Youth Transitions to Adulthood
Using Poverty Simulations to Build Support for Poverty Reduction Initiatives

Governance & Structure
Legislating for Results Series:   
   -- Getting Information on the Right Things
   -- Getting Understandable and Good Quality Information on Results
   -- Using Outcome Information in Strategic and Program Planning
   -- The Operating Budget
   -- The Capital Budget
   -- Reviewing Results and Costs of Key Services and Policies Throughout the Year  
   -- Encouraging/Motivating Personnel to Continually Improve Service Outcomes
   -- Motivating Contractors and Grantees to High Levels of Performance
   -- Communicating with Citizens and Media
   -- Building Council and Staff Capacity and Interest

Protecting Essential Records from Disasters
Working Productively with 21st Century Citizens 

Housing & Community Development
Creating Green Affordable Housing
Establishing a Land Bank to Manage Vacant, Abandoned and Foreclosed Properties 
Seizing Opportunities to Develop and Preserve Affordable Housing
Housing Trust Funds
Housing Assistance for Municipal Employees
Linking Housing and Community Services

Public Safety
Protecting Essential Records from Disasters
Preparing for Pandemic Influenza

Sustainability
Creating Green Affordable Housing
How Cities Can Work to Reduce Fuel Consumption and Increase Efficiency of Services
Greenroofs

Transportation & Infrastructure
Local Roles in Integrating Transportation and Land Use

More Municipal Action Guides on various topics are now being developed and will be posted on this page as soon they are published.