2026 State of the Cities report finds cities focused on economic growth while confronting housing, infrastructure and public safety challenges LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The National League of Cities (NLC) today…
These cities show how the Public Finance Authority can help your municipality finance its own economic development projects. Sixty-six percent of mayoral state of the city speeches this year included…
Overview City Names: Arlington, TX Population: 394,266 Problem: Residents lacked clear, accessible information about the city budget, making it harder to participate in public meetings and distinguish accurate information from…
The National League of Cities (NLC) is the voice of the nation’s more than 19,000 cities, towns, and villages to the President, the President’s Administration, and Congress. For a century,…
Below is a summary of the Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future Executive Order and how it could positively and negatively impact local governments as the Administration…
This week, more than 40 executive directors and local leaders from 19 state municipal leagues across the country traveled to Washington, D.C., for NLC’s third annual state municipal league fly-in.…
In 2020, communities struggled to maintain services and essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, they faced a record number of climate-related disasters, such as wildfires, extreme heat, and hurricanes, which…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/07/06/cities-go-digital/
“Today, that critical connection to the wider world isn’t just physical. It’s digital.” – Mayor Jim Gray of Lexington, Kentucky, in his 2018 State of the City speech. In this…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2021/12/30/nlcs-top-content-of-2021/
2021 was a historic year. As cities, towns, and villages across the country continued to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress listened to local leaders and provided critical investments to support…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/10/01/cities-leading-on-fair-housing/
Cities across the country have demonstrated a commitment to fair housing. The federal government’s interpretation of the “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing” provisions in the Fair Housing Act has changed significantly over…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/resident-opinions-of-local-government-brief/
In 2025, NLC conducted a poll to generate a national snapshot of resident opinions on a range of local government issues. Historically, NLC has used surveys and other data collection…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2025/12/30/nlc-wrapped-top-resources-of-2025/
As the year comes to a close, we take a look back at the most popular NLC resources from 2025! From our Presidential Actions Summary to our City Fiscal Conditions 2025…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/07/03/how-cities-are-tackling-veteran-homelessness/
Each year, mayors around the country detail their visions for the upcoming year in their state of the city speeches. With the federal process continuing to be in political gridlock,…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/03/27/what-cities-are-doing-about-pensions/
In advance of our annual State of the Cities report, which will be released later this year, this blog series captures speeches given by mayors in 2017. This blog is…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2022/03/10/5-ways-cities-led-in-pandemic-recovery/
Two years ago, cities around the country were confronted with an unprecedented challenge: the global COVID-19 pandemic. To respond, cities hit the ground running, implementing a host of innovative policies…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/future-of-cities-innovative-strategies-to-empower-small-businesses/
Small businesses are the bedrock of the local economies in cities of all sizes. NLC’s 2024 State of the Cities Report found that mayors frequently identified attracting and supporting businesses…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2020/06/16/graduating-amid-the-covid-19-pandemic/
Celebrities came together several weeks ago to honor the graduating high school class of 2020 virtually amid COVID-19. With graduation ceremonies around the country canceled or postponed, cities have found…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2017/08/24/five-ways-cities-can-lead-on-juvenile-justice-reform/
A new National League of Cities (NLC) report details how leadership in six cities furthered local juvenile justice reforms. The Annie E. Casey Foundation sponsored the report documenting the role…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/04/10/what-are-cities-doing-to-keep-healthcare-costs-down/
In advance of our annual State of the Cities report, which will be released later this year, this blog series captures speeches given by mayors in 2017. This blog is…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/07/13/mayors-agree-states-and-cities-must-work-together/
In his early February state of the city address, Mayor Steve Schewel of Durham, North Carolina, was blunt with his constituents: “Here is a hard truth we must face: Despite…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/08/03/why-downtown-development-is-crucial-for-american-cities/
Every year, mayors from cities of all sizes share their visions for the upcoming year in their state of the city speeches. NLC has analyzed trends in these speeches for…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/11/26/how-cities-can-step-up-on-alzheimers-a-5-step-agenda/
This is a guest post by Maria Shriver, Founder, the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement. At a time when Washington is gridlocked, cities are the places to get things done. Mayors and…
Communities across the country are recognizing the importance of investing in climate-resilient infrastructure — and the federal government is emphasizing this need, too. In September 2023, the White House released…
As we close out 2023, NLC is looking back at the priority issues for local leaders. Communities of all sizes were focused on different elements of these issues, which is…
March 2026 Update Housing supply and availability are near the top of severe concerns facing local leaders, according to NLC’s 2025 State of the Cities report, with 57 percent of survey…
This first comprehensive report of its kind offers a data-driven perspective on how COVID-19 exacerbated structural inequities and what conditions made some communities more resilient than others. Washington, D.C. –…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/10/19/five-ways-to-prepare-for-a-data-driven-future/
“Data and technology” was identified as one of the top 10 issues mayors were prioritizing in their 2018 state of the city speeches. It’s easy to see why: data can…
Across America, public parks and recreational spaces have long offered free-to-low-cost opportunities for visitors and residents to engage in local communities. During the pandemic, the value of these spaces as…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2017/06/12/120-mayors-on-the-issues-facing-urban-america/
This post originally appeared in Fast Company. Read the full article here. Mayors are leading the country forward with a positive agenda for America. While most of our eyes are…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2017/06/22/local-governments-continue-to-fight-the-opioid-crisis/
Through new approaches, community outreach and education, and even legal action, municipal governments are continuing to lead the most comprehensive efforts to date in the battle against widespread opioid addiction.…
The arts and culture sector can have a larger impact on your city’s economy (in terms of GDP) than other industries like tourism and transportation — but city leaders often…
After President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, hundreds of city leaders spoke out to denounce the decision. From New York to…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2021/12/21/how-your-community-can-address-the-housing-crisis/
Safe and affordable housing is key to thriving communities. According to the National League of Cities (NLC)’s annual State of the Cities report for 2021, housing is one of the…
Authored by Ken Sansone, Senior Partner, SL Environmental Law Group, & Kyla Tengdin, Education & Outreach, SL Environmental Law Group According to the National League of Cities’ 2026 State of…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/08/29/for-cities-a-new-guide-to-tackling-the-housing-crisis/
In 2018, for the fifth year in a row, housing featured as one of the top 10 issues addressed by mayors in their state of the city speeches — with…
“When you look at maps of neighboring communities and ZIP codes and see significant disparities in life expectancy within a couple of miles – sometimes blocks – you’re compelled to…
Despite low unemployment (PDF), we know municipalities are still facing persistent workforce challenges. On average, local governments need 96 days to find qualified candidates to fill open positions, compared to…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/three-things-to-know-video-series-august-2025/
August 2025: State of the Cities, Housing Supply Accelerator Summit and Summer Gatherings This month, NLC covers State of the Cities 2025, the Housing Supply Accelerator Summit, and Summer Gatherings.…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/three-things-to-know-video-series-august-2024/
State of the Cities, Leadership Applications, and City Summit Speaker Lindsey Vonn NLC recently released its annual State of the Cities report and announced a guest speaker at the upcoming…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2017/09/08/americas-mayors-weigh-in-on-education/
Across the country, children are returning from summer break for a new school year. For cities, the back-to-school season means intensifying their work to ensure that youth are supported —…
WASHINGTON – May 23, 2019 – As federal policymakers struggle to find consensus on many of the toughest challenges facing the country, mayors are focused on grounded solutions to critical…
Our annual analysis of mayoral State of the City addresses shows that cities are increasingly focusing on workforce and small business development through an equity lens. Here’s how several mayors…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/06/28/tensions-rise-for-local-leaders-trying-to-fund-pensions/
In light of our just-released State of the Cities 2018 report, this post is the first in a series of blogs that captures what mayors have been talking about most in…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2017/06/29/how-infrastructure-became-washingtons-latest-obsession/
As unlikely as it may seem, ‘infrastructure’ has become one of the buzzwords of the day. One can hardly strike up a conversation about politics in Washington without the president’s…
https://www.nlc.org/resources-training/
Articles Read the latest articles to stay well informed and up-to-date around current hot topics such as COVID-19, Race & Equity, Intergovernmental Relations, and so much more. Learn MOre Briefs…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/08/24/were-committed-to-data-and-evidence/
At NLC, we hear you loud and clear. For city leaders, using data matters more than ever. You could even say we have the data to back it up: According…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2022/08/30/see-your-city-rise-before-your-eyes/
Picture where you live. Now think of where you would like to see improvements made…What matters most, and what does progress in action look like to you? Community-oriented videos bring…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2023/12/19/2023-trends-from-nlcs-center-for-research-and-data-analysis/
As the countdown to 2024 begins, it is important for local governments, of all sizes and geographies, to keep an eye on key trends impacting their communities. To help stay…
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), enacted in 2014 with bipartisan support, is the primary federal legislation that invests in workforce development programming. WIOA provides necessary funding to states and…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/07/16/how-city-leaders-can-combat-childhood-hunger/
During his State of the City address this year, Adam Paul, mayor of Lakewood, Colorado, nailed it. “I have given this a lot of thought,” he said, “and I want…