Flagship nlc Reports
State of the Cities 2026
America’s cities are not just surviving, they are innovating and delivering every day. Mayors remain committed to providing top-quality services…
Municipal Infrastructure Conditions Report 2026
Communities across the country depend on reliable infrastructure to ensure public safety, economic opportunity and quality of life. Over the past several…
City Fiscal Conditions 2025
The National League of Cities’ 40th annual City Fiscal Conditions report offers a comprehensive snapshot of the financial health of…
Featured resources: Advocating for strong federal-local partnerships
Featured resources: AI in Action
Featured resources: Housing
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Turning a Marina Investment Into Lasting Community Value in Corpus Christi
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How Oak Harbor, Wash. is Navigating Comprehensive Plan Updates with Small City Resources
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AI in Action Case Study: Rancho Cordova’s AI and Robotics Ecosystem
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AI in Action Case Study: Reorienting Permitting Around Resident Experience
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Arlington, TX: Using Creative Communications to Explain the Annual Budget
Cities in Action: Young Harris Financial Literacy Engagement
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Topics
Advancing Energy Affordability in Your Community
Property Tax Collections and Local Fiscal Health: Insights from City Fiscal Conditions 2025
- Harshita Umesh Tanksali
From Data to Decisions: The Essential Work of a City Demographer
- CitiesSpeak Guest
Public Art vs. Signs: Why Getting It Right Is Harder Than It Looks
- CitiesSpeak Guest
What Local Leaders Need to Know about Congressional Water Legislation
- Carolyn Berndt
Take Control of Your Energy Future – Reduce Cost & Eliminate Volatility Risk
Building Future-Focused Communities Through Strategic Grant Funding
How Public Art Helps Cities Rethink Transportation
- Georgia Gempler
Where Do Cities Get Most Infrastructure Funding? Municipal Bonds
- Harshita Umesh Tanksali
State of the Cities 2026
Reentry, Prevention, and Public Safety: A New Framework to Reduce Gun Violence
- CitiesSpeak Guest
Members Only
How Oak Harbor, Wash. is Navigating Comprehensive Plan Updates with Small City Resources
Demographic Transitions: Who’s Staying, Who’s Leaving, and What Cities Can Do
- Corianne Rice
Leveraging Planning Tools and Technology to Unlock Housing Production
- Stephanie Onuaja
What Local Leaders Should Know About DOJ’s New Model Cities Initiative
- Yucel Ors
Members Only
From the Event: Building Your City’s International Engagement Strategy
How El Paso Is Advancing Cross-Border Coordination and Growth
- Tomeka Lee
Cities in Action: Young Harris Financial Literacy Engagement
Infrastructure Week 2026: Takeaways for Local Governments
By:
- Annie Mazzarella
- Melissa Williams
From the Event: Health & Wellbeing Capacity Building Series: From Vision to Action
Municipal Infrastructure Conditions Report 2026
How Cities Can Uplift Legacy and Second-Stage Businesses
- Safaya Fawzi
Healing the Ecosystem: What Cities Can Learn from the Birmingham Peace Summit
- CitiesSpeak Guest
Maximizing Progress Through Grants
The Policy Compass in Tacoma, WA: Unlocking Workforce Access by Addressing Child Care
Railroads’ Safety Investments Showed Progress
Building a Resilient Water Workforce in U.S. Cities
Bridging Infrastructure Needs and Municipal Budgets: A Fiscal Analysis of U.S. City Governments
- Harshita Umesh Tanksali
Expanding Housing Supply While Avoiding Displacement
- Stephanie Onuaja
Health Systems Supporting Local Healthy Housing Goals
- Brandon Boccher
What the FY27 Federal Budget Proposal Could Mean for Local Governments
- Michael Wallace
Workforce Intelligence Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage for Cities
Powering the Digital Age: Propane’s Role in Data Center Resilience and Low-Emission Power
How Cedar Rapids, Iowa is Building Better Systems to Respond to Homelessness
- CitiesSpeak Guest
Building Understanding, Strengthening Response: How Grand Junction, CO Came Together to Develop the Unhoused Survey, Needs Assessment and Strategy
- CitiesSpeak Guest
The Invisible Tax: How Housing Unaffordability Stalls Workforce Development
- CitiesSpeak Guest
No Kid Hungry Announces Expanded Impact of the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger Through a $1.5 Million Investment by Dollar Tree
NLC University Presents: Navigating Municipal Finance Opportunities
Building the Full Continuum: Lebanon NH’s Strategy for Housing Supply, Stability & Homelessness
- CitiesSpeak Guest
Zoning for Solar: Large-Scale Solar
- Kelly Aves
Protecting Homes, Protecting Communities: Addressing Affordability Challenges
Mayors Sound Off On What Works for Workforce Development
- McKinzie McGuire
Lessons from San Juan: Preventing Displacement in Informal Housing
- Lauren Lowery
Enhancing Public Safety: Why Community Responder Models are the Smart Solution to Addressing Homelessness
- Maryam Ahmed
Child Care and Family Assistance Federal Grants Frozen in Five States – What This Means for Cities
By:
- Kathryn Shibuya
- Lara Burt
- Stephanie Martinez-Ruckman
Unlocking Opportunity Through Housing: Albuquerque’s Landlord Engagement Model
- CitiesSpeak Guest
Understanding Technical Assistance at NLC
- Seth Eli Barlow
Understanding the Current Housing Finance Residential and Economic Outlook
- Stephanie Onuaja
NLC Wrapped: Top Resources of 2025
- Jeremy Grossman
Regenerative Design: Building to Renew Our Ecosystems and Communities
Data Centers Are Coming: Are You Prepared?
What I Learned at COP30: Perspectives from Three Local Leaders at the Climate Convenings
By:
- Steve Patterson
- Carolyn Berndt
Cities Look to the Future on Water Infrastructure Funding and Programs
- Carolyn Berndt
A New Resource That Helps Connect Young Children with Nature
- Vera Feeny
Understanding the Challenges Facing the Municipal Workforce
- McKinzie McGuire
Members Only
Executive Actions Fact Sheet: Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness
Cities Look to Future of Federal Infrastructure Partnership
By:
- Kyle Funk
- Patrick Rochford
FEMA Announces New Counter-UAS Grant Program to Empower Cities, Towns and Villages
- Yucel Ors
Philadelphia’s Housing Crisis Demands Bold Action — Mayor Parker’s $2 Billion H.O.M.E. Plan Delivers
- CitiesSpeak Guest
Building the Blueprint: Why Cities Must Treat Talent as Infrastructure
- CitiesSpeak Guest
Rebuilding Together: Examining Federal Funding for Municipal Infrastructure
Award Winning Public Private Partnerships Improve Healthy Housing Resident Service Delivery
- Becky O’Meara, MSW
Addressing the Decline of Civility in Public Discourse
- Melissa Williams
Talent as the New Infrastructure: How Cities Can Compete in the Age of AI
- CitiesSpeak Guest
Diving Deeper on Municipal Fines and Fees: Cities’ Continuing Work to Minimize Harmful Impacts on their Residents
- Diana Goldsmith
How Local Leaders Can Strengthen Democracy by Supporting Election Administration Staff
- CitiesSpeak Guest
Strategies to “Stack the Deck” for Homeowners
Resilient by Design: How Cities Can Connect Climate Goals with Childhood Wellbeing
- Brigid Deegan
4 Electric Vehicle Workforce Myths that Might be Holding Back Your Community
- McKinzie McGuire
Members Only
Resource Collection: Extension & Municipal Collaboration
Highlights and Takeaways from NLC’s Participation in NYC Climate Week
By:
- Steve Patterson
- Carolyn Berndt
- Brigid Deegan
Small City Solutions: How Wasilla, Alaska Uses Braided Funding to Finance Local Projects
- Samantha Pedrosa
Suburb Solutions: Utilizing Tax Financing for Community Growth in Lawrenceville, Georgia
- Samantha Pedrosa
Diversified Funding for Health & Wellbeing
Helping Communities Understand the Data Center Boom
- Kelly Aves
New Toolkit Guides Communities in Building Resilience to Wildfires
- Carolyn Berndt
How Cities Can Sustain Benefits Access for Young Adults
- Andrew Moore
The Connection Between Regulation and Rent Prices
From Congress to Community: City of Wasilla’s Path to Modernized Wastewater Infrastructure
- Dante Moreno
How Fair Chance Hiring Practices Strengthen the Entire Workforce
By:
- Tashfia Hasan
- Tony McCright, Jr.
From Congress to Community: City of Mesa’s Downtown Small Business Revitalization and Rehabilitation Program
- Dante Moreno
How Localities are Planning for the End of the American Rescue Plan Act
- Jordyn Taylor
Building Pathways to Economic Mobility for Houston’s Youth
- CitiesSpeak Guest
AI-Powered Education & Digital Equity for Municipalities
How to Train Municipal Staff for AI
- Christopher Jordan
How Ballot Measures Can Sustainably Fund Your City’s Youth Initiatives
- Lindsay Rapkin
7 Tips and Strategies for Cities to Increase Youth Engagement for Violence Reduction
- Emanuel Boo Milton
A 360° Approach to Early Childhood Workforce Supports
By:
- Lara Burt
- Kathryn Shibuya
Why Cities Must Invest in Child Care for Residents to Succeed in Education and in the Workforce
- CitiesSpeak Guest
How to Grow and Support Your Early Childhood Workforce
By:
- Lara Burt
- Kathryn Shibuya
Building Climate Resilient Workforce Development Programs to Advance Residents’ Economic Mobility
By:
- Ayesha Mehrotra
- Tashfia Hasan
Why Now is the Right Time to Create an Apprenticeship Program
- McKinzie McGuire
Why Every City Must See Housing as a Workforce Issue
- Lindsay Rapkin
Economic Mobility at a Glance: Grand Island’s Efforts to Improve Access to Opportunity
- Justin Chu
Using Dispute Resolution as an Alternative to Evictions in Bellevue, WA
- CitiesSpeak Guest
Unlocking Potential, Powering Communities: Investing in Adult Education Programs
- Stephanie Martinez-Ruckman
Cities and the Changing Labor Market: The Importance of Upskilling and Reskilling
- CitiesSpeak Guest
From Data to Decisions: How Newport News Turns ACS Data into Life-Saving Action
- CitiesSpeak Guest
What are CDFIs and Why Do They Matter to City Leaders?
- Safaya Fawzi
Mayors and Representative Kiley: NLC’s Mayors’ Education Task Force Convenes to Address Education Priorities
By:
- Brandis Stockman
- Stephanie Martinez-Ruckman
Community Schools and the Power of Local Leadership
- Brandis Stockman
How Focusing on Early Literacy Can Create a Generation of Readers
By:
- Lara Burt
- Kathryn Shibuya
How to Make Universal Pre-K a Reality in Your Community
By:
- Lara Burt
- Kathryn Shibuya
Development Without Displacement: Centering Communities Through Housing Preservation
- Tomeka Lee
Members Only
From the Event: Making the Case for Afterschool and Summer Learning Programs
Southern Success Stories: 20 Cities Creating Opportunity
By:
- Kayla Anthony
- Rosanna Mulcahy
How Data Can Guide Healthy Housing Decision Making
- Brandon Boccher
Members Only
From the Event: Decades in the Making: How Four Cities Are Creating Lasting Early Childhood Impact
State of the Cities 2025
How a Federal Funding Freeze Impacts Afterschool and Summer Learning Programs
By:
- Brandis Stockman
- Stephanie Martinez-Ruckman
The State of Eviction Prevention Policies & Programs in the U.S.
- Hannah Olsen
The Impact of Tariffs: Hearing from Local Leaders
How City Leaders Can Support the Mental Health of LGBTQIA+ Teens
- Sarah Weller-Pegna, MPH
How Connecting Children to Nature Can Help Small Cities Achieve Their Goals
By:
- Andrew Moore
- Vera Feeny
Members Only
From The Event: Cross-Departmental Alignment for Health Equity and Wellbeing
Population Growth & Municipal Fiscal Outlook: Growing Cities = Higher Revenues + Healthier Reserves
By:
- Harshita Umesh Tanksali
- Farhad Kaab Omeyr
How St. Louis Put Equity on the Scoreboard
- CitiesSpeak Guest
A Roadmap to Modern Transportation Solutions – a Partnership between NLC and Enterprise Mobility
By:
- John D’Angelo
- Kyle Funk
Economic Mobility: How Cities Can Support Entrepreneurs Earning Less Than 100K
By:
- Rosanna Mulcahy
- Safaya Fawzi
Women Lead the Way: Lessons from WIMG 2025 Summer Conference
- Sarah Minster
3 Ways Cities are Using Financial Empowerment to Advance Economic Mobility of Their Residents
- Justin Chu
Which Health and Wellbeing Technical Assistance Cohort is Right for You?
- Megan Greig
Building a New Model: Cincinnati’s Financial Freedom Blueprint in Action
- CitiesSpeak Guest
Data Centers and Local Environmental Considerations
- Kelly Aves
Strengthening Local Momentum for a Skilled EV Workforce
By:
- Kyle Funk
- Michael Bartlett
How Your Local Library Can Help Expand Access to Nature
- Melanie Robinson
Utilizing Clean Energy Finance Programs in Your Community
- Carolyn Berndt
How to Support the Mental Health of the Early Childhood Workforce
- Annika List
Advancing Housing Reform: Lessons from Chattanooga’s Voluntary Zoning Incentives Program
- CitiesSpeak Guest
Members Only
From the Event: Optimizing Municipal Healthcare Benefits for Workforce Recruitment & Retention
How Cities are Creating Paths Forward for Formerly Incarcerated Residents through Green Jobs Programs
- Ayesha Mehrotra
Members Only
2025 State and Local Fiscal Facts
Members Only
From the Event: Healthy Housing Learning Lab: Sustainable and Resilient Housing Solutions
Fact Sheet Series: Understanding Data Centers
Leveraging Urban Tree Canopies to Unlock Community Resilience
- Brigid Deegan
Boosting Your Community’s Environmental Impact: Why Recycling Education Matters
Why Local Leaders Are Doubling Down on Sustainability
Three Things City Leaders Should Know about Planning for Future Extreme Weather Events
Catalyzing Biodiversity on Buildings
- CitiesSpeak Guest
Designing Climate-Resilient Outdoor Spaces with Nature-Based Solutions
- Vera Feeny
Powering The Future: How Chick-fil-A is Testing Solar Microgrids
How Budget Equity Tools Advance Favorable Outcomes for All Residents
- Diana Goldsmith
Innovative Approaches to Dual-Purpose Solar
- Kelly Aves
Advancing Cities of the Future with Sustainability and Innovation
- Catherine L. Werner
How Diversified Funding Can Improve Public Health in Your City
- Megan Greig
5 Reasons the American Community Survey is Essential for Cities
- Dante Moreno
5 Lessons from NLC’s Cities Addressing Fines and Fees Equitably Initiative
By:
- Diana Goldsmith
- Chanell Hasty
3 Lessons Learned from the El Paso Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator
- Justin Chu
5 Ways Mayors Can Support K-12 Education in Their Cities
- Brandis Stockman
Members Only
From the Event: Healthy Housing Learning Lab: Workforce Fireside Chat
Update on Elective Pay Tax Credits: What Cities Need to Know
By:
- Dante Moreno
- Carolyn Berndt
How to Grow Your City’s Healthy Housing Workforce
- Brandon Boccher
Where Does the Opioid Crisis Stand Today in Local Communities?
- Sarah Minster
Black History Month 2025: Spotlighting Today’s History Makers
- Carmel Jones
The Budgeting Process: Governments Find Power in AI
Combatting Extreme Heat: Municipal Action Today for a Cooler World Tomorrow
- Brigid Deegan
Members Only
2025 US Department of Justice Local Government Priorities in the 100 days
Members Only
2025 U.S. Department of Homeland Security Local Government Priorities in the 100 days
Members Only
2025 U.S. Department of Agriculture Local Government Priorities in the 100 days
Democratizing Safety in Newark: The Brick City Peace Collective
- Ian Grice
5 Ways Local Officials Can Support the Early Childhood Workforce
- Annika List
Catalyzing Change: Building a Sustainable Economic Ecosystem
- Tomeka Lee
Housing Preservation Practices That Benefit People and the Environment
- Julia Glickman
Why Housing is Key to Main Street Success
- Corianne Rice
Housing for Returning Citizens in Small Cities: Challenges and Solutions
- Tony McCright, Jr.
What Local Officials Should Do When Facing a Wildfire: Navigating Disaster Response and Recovery
- Yucel Ors
Chattanooga’s PILOT Reimagined: Honing a Powerful Housing Tool
- CitiesSpeak Guest
The Path Home in Newark, NJ: Strategies to End Chronic Homelessness in Cities
Explore New NLC University Courses
10 Top Moments from NLC in 2024
- Jeremy Grossman
From the Event – City Summit Perspectives on a New Downtown
- Samantha Pedrosa
How Cities, Towns and Villages are Improving Recycling Practices
- Carolyn Berndt
How San Francisco is Boosting College Enrollment for All Youth
- Patrick Hain
How Hartford is Strengthening the Early Childhood Workforce
- Annika List
How Jacksonville is Building Partnerships and Supporting the Early Childhood Workforce to Create Quality Services
- Annika List
Celebrate National Apprenticeship Week with Apprenticeships for Cities
By:
- McKinzie McGuire
- Tashfia Hasan
Members Only
Racial Equity Bond Markets Resource Bank
Opportunity & Impact: Investing in City & Community Partnerships Toward Safety
Federal Funding Opportunities That Support Resilient Infrastructure, Smart Surfaces
By:
- Kyle Funk
- Brigid Deegan
Empowering Small Cities with the Nature Everywhere Community Action Challenge
By:
- Melanie Robinson
- Andrew Moore
Workforce Development 101: A Primer for Municipal Leaders
6 Things to Know About Rail to Help Your Community
On Your Mind: Commissioner Amber Sellers of Lawrence, KS Discusses How Early Childhood Investments Support Community Wellbeing
Updated Uniform Grants Guidance: How Changes May Impact Your Federal Funds
- Dante Moreno
Addressing Common Recycling Challenges Through the Recycle Right Campaign
- Carolyn Berndt
4 Steps Dearborn, MI Took to Invest in Economic Development and Public Health Through Green Schoolyards
Last Call: Secure Your Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Funding Before October 31
- Carolyn Berndt
How Cities’ Infrastructure Projects Change Lives
- Brittney D. Kohler
Advancing Understanding of Indigenous History
4 Lessons to Guide Cities in Wastewater Monitoring Efforts
4 Ways Cities Can Provide Business and Financial Supports to the Early Childhood Workforce
- Annika List
Congress Passes Bipartisan 12-Week Funding Extension Ensuring No Government Shutdown Through December 20th
- Michael Wallace
Deploying American Rescue Plan Funds for Climate-Resilient and Equitable Infrastructure Projects
Regional Greenhouse Gas Reduction Efforts in Miami Valley, Ohio
- Carolyn Berndt
Innovative Hydrogen Technology Benefits Public Works Projects
A Collaborative Path Toward a Well-Funded Employee Retirement
Members Only
From the Event: FEMA Resilience Funding Strategies – Best Practices for Communities
National League of Cities Recognizes Presidential Platforms’ Commitment to Local Public Safety Programs
- Yucel Ors
Good Jobs in Great Cities
- McKinzie McGuire
Members Only