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Flagship nlc Reports

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  • Report
July 10, 2026

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…

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May 15, 2026

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…

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November 21, 2025

City Fiscal Conditions 2025

The National League of Cities’ 40th annual City Fiscal Conditions report offers a comprehensive snapshot of the financial health of…

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Featured resources: Advocating for strong federal-local partnerships

2026 Federal Action Agenda

NLC has a biannual agenda mapped to the Congressional cycle to guide local advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and with the Administration. Learn more about the issues that matter most…

National Municipal Policy

NLC has a biannual agenda mapped to the Congressional cycle to guide local advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and with the Administration. Learn more about the issues that matter most in your community.

Federal Budget Tracker

Updated July 2026 Direct Federal Funding and Other Supports for Cities and Towns  Why It’s Important Annual federal funding for direct grants that aid America’s 19,000 non-partisan cities, towns and…

Supreme Court Order Reshapes Litigation Over Federal Election Executive Order

10 Things for Local Leaders to Know About the “21st Century ROAD to Housing Act”

Your Community’s Voice Matters: How to Submit Comments on OMB’s Proposed Grant Changes

Featured resources: Housing

  • Community & Economic Development
  • Housing

Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook
Members Only

Ending Homelessness: A Guide for Local Governments

21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

What is the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act?  Following a year of negotiation between the House, Senate, and White House, on July 11, 2026, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, the…

Where to Start Now That the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act Has Passed

Local Eviction Prevention Policy and Program Tool

Filling the Gap Tool: Unlocking Housing Finance

Updated as of June 2026

Featured resources: AI in Action

  • Innovation
  • Technology

Artificial Intelligence Demystified- AI Toolkit for Municipalities

AI in Action: Empowering Local Governments

NLC has a biannual agenda mapped to the Congressional cycle to guide local advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and with the Administration. Learn more about the issues that matter most in your community.

Fact Sheet Series: Understanding Data Centers

A Primer for Local Governments: Understanding Data Centers Significant increases in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing and other digital services is driving greater demand for the physical…

Data Center Local Action Tracker

Local governments across the country are responding to rapid growth in data center development. Cities, towns and counties are adopting zoning standards, negotiating development agreements, reviewing infrastructure impacts, establishing moratoria…
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Recent Case Studies

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  • Municipal Finance

Turning a Marina Investment Into Lasting Community Value in Corpus Christi
Members Only
  • Community & Economic Development

How Oak Harbor, Wash. is Navigating Comprehensive Plan Updates with Small City Resources
Members Only
  • Economic Opportunity & Workforce Development

AI in Action Case Study: Rancho Cordova’s AI and Robotics Ecosystem
Members Only
  • Infrastructure

AI in Action Case Study: Reorienting Permitting Around Resident Experience
Members Only
  • Civic Engagement

Arlington, TX: Using Creative Communications to Explain the Annual Budget
  • Community & Economic Development

Cities in Action: Young Harris Financial Literacy Engagement
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Topics

Civic Engagement

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Education and Early Childhood Success

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Housing

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Resource

Members Only

INTERACTIVE: Preemption Laws By State
Resource

Preemption and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Article

Exploring the Impacts of Preemption

By:
  1. Christiana McFarland
Article

The Changing Landscape of Preemption

By:
  1. Christiana McFarland
  2. Julia Bauer
Resource

What You Need to Know About Preemption
Resource

Tracking State Preemption 2019: The Pre-Pandemic Landscape
Article

Preemption Threatens Economic Development and Innovation
Article

House Committee Advances Communications Infrastructure Preemption Bill

By:
  1. Angelina Panettieri
Restoring City Rights in an Era of Preemption
Resource

New Guide: Restoring City Rights in an Era of Preemption
Resource

The Relationship Between State Preemption of Inclusionary Zoning and Health
Article

How Preemption is Expanding and Changing in 2019
Article

Net Neutrality Is Just the Tip of the Preemption Iceberg
Article

One Year Later: State Preemption Undermines Pandemic Response & Recovery

By:
  1. Kim Haddow
Article

NLC Offers Cities Help In Resolving Justice Reform Preemption
Article

Federal Preemption in Railroad Regulation Before Supreme Court
Article

Three Strategies to Restore City Rights in an Era of Preemption
Article

Navigating Preemption during COVID: Four Steps Cities Can Take to Increase Affordable Housing
Article

What a Broadband Preemption Victory in Arkansas Means For Rural Cities
Article

House Leaders Hear NLC on Issues of Preemption and Local Control
Article

Ninth Circuit Hears from Local Governments on FCC Small Cell Preemption
Article

Five Takeaways for Cities from the FCC’s Small Cell Preemption Order
photo - NLC's 2017 Preemption Report
Resource

City Rights in an Era of Preemption: A State-by-State Analysis
Resource

The Local Authority Landscape: Trends in Select Issues from 2019-2022   
Resource

Members Only

Public Safety and Local Authority: Analyzing Firearm Regulation
Resource

Members Only

Paid Leave & Local Authority
Article

How States Preempt Local Laws

By:
  1. Christopher B. Goodman
  2. Megan E. Hatch
  3. Bruce D. McDonald, III
Resource

How to Support New Business Creation in a Preempted Policy Environment
Resource

Consequences of State Tax and Expenditure Limits on Local Services
Resource

Ban-the-Box and Local Authority
Resource

Reimagining Policing
Resource

Members Only

Local Authority and Emerging Technology: A State-by-State Analysis  
Resource

Elections & Local Authority
Resource

Members Only

From the Event: Federal Budget Legislation Webinar
Resource

Tax Authority & Tax and Expenditure Limits
Article

Five Year Review: How State Laws Have Impacted Local Decision-Making

By:
  1. Julia Bauer
Resource

Small Cell Deployment
Resource

Supporting Wage Growth
Resource

Members Only

Executive Actions Fact Sheet: Protecting American Energy from State Overreach 
Resource

Members Only

Executive Actions Fact Sheet: Protecting the American People Against Invasion 
Resource

Members Only

21st Century ROAD to Housing Local Provisions Tracker
Resource

21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
Resource

Members Only

Executive Actions Fact Sheet: Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens 
Resource

Members Only

Executive Actions Fact Sheet: Securing Our Borders 
Resource

Members Only

Executive Actions Fact Sheet: Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections
Article

Three Local Authority Trends and Insights

By:
  1. Julia Bauer
  2. Patrick Rochford
Resource

Digital Equity Playbook: How City Leaders Can Bridge the Digital Divide
Resource

Members Only

Executive Actions Fact Sheet: Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence
Resource

21st Century ROAD to Housing Act FAQs
Resource

Members Only

2025 State and Local Fiscal Facts
Resource

Future of Cities: Reenvisioning Retail for Recovery and Resilience