https://www.nlc.org/article/2020/09/14/ensuring-food-for-everyone-in-boston/
A city of nearly 700,000 people (about 11 percent of whom are 65 or older), Boston, Massachusetts, joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities in 2014. Its age-friendly effort is led…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2022/05/26/boston-loses-third-party-flag-scotus-case/
In Shurtleff v. City of Boston the U.S. Supreme Court held unanimously that Boston’s refusal to fly a Christian flag on a flagpole outside city hall violated the First Amendment.…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/citiesspeak-podcast-clarence-anthony-live-in-boston/
NLC CEO and Executive Director Clarence Anthony and Boston journalist Crystal Haynes as part of a fireside chat recorded in Boston, with our friends and partners, the Massachusetts Municipal Association,…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/boston-city-profile-on-racial-equity/
Early efforts to integrate financial capability strategies into youth employment programs have demonstrated some promising approaches for city leaders and practitioners to consider when designing or expanding programs. Learn how…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2019/12/13/how-boston-helped-residents-get-bigger-tax-returns/
Cities must be at the forefront of providing financial empowerment and tax equity strategies that include Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and credit building at tax time. Using information about the…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/10/03/preserving-history-and-a-technology-driven-future-in-boston/
This is the first in a series of case studies tracking how cities are handling small cell wireless infrastructure deployment on their streets. To learn more about this technology and…
In order for cities to grow and thrive, it is crucial that local leaders put families first and support the needs of children and caregivers. Boston and its city leaders…
Washington, D.C. – Today, National League of Cities (NLC) Executive Director and CEO Clarence E. Anthony issued the following statement following President-elect Joe Biden’s selection of Boston, Massachusetts Mayor Marty Walsh to serve…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2020/08/18/providing-enough-food-for-everyone-in-boston-massachusetts/
A city of nearly 700,000 people (about 11 percent of whom are 65 or older), Boston, Massachusetts, joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities in 2014. Its age-friendly effort is led…
This case study is part of the Reimagining Public Safety Impact Updates Resource, which highlights successful programs in cities, towns and villages across the country. View the Reimagining Public Safety Initiative to learn more…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/ashevilles-efforts-to-support-and-attract-entrepreneurs/
This case study explores Asheville, NC’s efforts to support and foster a culture allowing local entreprenuers to thrive. This is the second of a two-part series exploring innovative local government…
This case study is part of the AI in Action Case Studies Collection, which highlights various use cases of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by cities, towns and villages across the country. View…
NLC member cities join a technical assistance cohort focused on resiliency in the built environment Across the United States and globally, the summer of 2023 has seen record-high temperatures. As…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2026/04/14/health-systems-supporting-local-healthy-housing-goals/
Safe, stable and healthy housing is foundational to public health, but the housing stock in many communities are met with hazards like lead, mold, pests and insufficient heating. To address…
https://www.nlc.org/events/introduction-to-ai-in-municipal-government/
Learn from a panel of national experts and local leaders who are working to incorporate AI tools in their municipal government. Panelists will provide local leaders with foundational information about…
A massive tent encampment of homeless individuals on a Downtown Los Angeles sidewalk. Homelessness is an urgent and complex crisis facing cities across the United States. But according to the…
In 2024, about 60 percent of Americans reported that “reducing crime” was among their top political priorities for the coming year. As municipalities around the country address crime and safety, they…
NLC’s Early Childhood Success team has begun a two-year initiative to showcase how local governments continue to build the capacity of municipal leaders to advance strong agendas for young children,…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/mayoral-views-on-racism-and-discrimination/
A new report, Mayoral Views on Racism and Discrimination, explores how mayors of medium-sized and large cities understand race, discrimination and equity in their communities and on a national level.…
After a year of extraordinary circumstances and challenges, city leaders are faced with a new question—how can they retain and build on the community partnerships and engagement initiatives borne out…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/ai-in-action-municipality-use-case-resource-collection/
As new technologies emerge, cities, towns and villages are navigating important questions about when and how to make effective and responsible use of artificial intelligence and other digital tools. As…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2023/01/10/green-gentrification-and-the-role-of-housing-in-resilience/
City leaders across the U.S. are advancing community resilience strategies to adapt to more extreme weather. Preparing for wildfires, drought, flooding, sea level rise, extreme heat and other climate changes…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/11/28/on-helping-teens-get-their-first-jobs/
This is a guest post by Trinh Nguyen, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development (OWD) in Boston and Alicia Sasser Modestino, associate professor with appointments in the School…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2023/10/10/the-ethics-and-governance-of-generative-ai/
Comparing Municipal Policies in Boston MA, San Jose CA, Seattle WA and Tempe AZ A s Artificial Intelligence, particularly generative AI, becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, the need…
Edited by Abygail Mangar, NLC Health & Resilience Program Manager. Although hurricanes and wildfires receive more attention, there is evidence that summer heatwaves harm and kill more people. Extreme heat…
NLC’s Early Childhood Success (ECS) team is proud to launch Decades in the Making, a two-year initiative spotlighting a cohort of four cities that have historically demonstrated exceptional commitment to…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2017/02/01/refugee-executive-order-faces-legal-challenges/
Judges in New York and Boston, among other cities, have prevented parts of the executive order on refugees from going into effect temporarily, citing possible violations of the U.S. Constitution’s…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2019/04/11/is-rent-control-available-to-your-city/
Local Tools to Address Housing Affordability: A State-by-State Analysis is the fifth annual report produced in partnership with the 49 state municipal leagues. This post is part of a series highlighting…
Federal funding is available for municipal leaders looking to reduce carbon emissions in public transportation fleets. The transportation sector is the largest emitter of carbon in the U.S. and funding…
https://www.nlc.org/events/building-trust-around-covid-19-vaccinations/
Vaccine Distribution and Administration: Messaging, Partnerships and Confidence Mayors and local officials’ capacity to convene partners/trusted messengers and communicate with the public is ever more vital in a landscape of…
Washington D.C. – The National League of Cities has selected four cities to participate in a new technical assistance initiative called Decades in the Making: Cities Supporting Early Learning and…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2018/01/24/help-your-residents-claim-the-earned-income-tax-credit/
This Friday, January 26, marks the twelfth annual Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day, an effort by the IRS to encourage local governments, community organizations and other stakeholders to…
This is a guest post by Jason D. King, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications & Marketing, Clear Channel Outdoor Americas. Many working families would agree that lengthening the typical…
COVID-19 vaccination rates have slowed across the U.S. since the initial rollout, and although we’ve vaccinated a majority of adults, millions remain unvaccinated; 17 million people live in rural vaccine…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/from-the-event-survey-findings-on-mayors-homelessness/
Survey Findings on Mayors & Homelessness: Challenges, Opportunities and Solutions Homelessness is an urgent and complex crisis facing cities across the United States. But according to the 2021 Menino Survey…
The COVID-19 pandemic took a considerable toll on individuals, families, and communities but it was especially pronounced for our nation’s children and the individuals caring for them. During the pandemic,…
https://www.nlc.org/resource/northeast-regional-resilient-cities-summit/
Across the country, old and outdated infrastructure is vulnerable to a changing climate, from frequent and intense storms, extreme heat, and drought. Across the country, old and outdated infrastructure is…
WASHINGTON — September 17, 2018 — A new report, Mayoral Views on Racism and Discrimination, explores how mayors of medium-sized and large cities understand race, discrimination and equity in their…
What happens when… …a city government chooses to prioritize young children, their families and the early childhood workforce? That’s the question this toolkit answers. Each section analyzes a cities’ priorities…
To ensure the safety and health of all residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, accurate and timely information needs to be made available and readily accessible in multiple languages, including ASL (American Sign…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2022/02/24/supreme-court-midterm-for-local-governments-2021-22/
The State and Local Legal Center (SLLC) files Supreme Court amicus curiae briefs on behalf of the Big Seven national organizations representing state and local governments. The Supreme Court’s docket…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2023/02/13/urban-heat-island-effect-solutions-and-funding/
Many cities are experiencing the urban heat island effect, which has tremendous impacts on residents as climate changes increase the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events.
For too many working families, a lack of adequate, high-quality homes has made affordable housing unavailable. As noted in a recent op-ed with Secretary Marcia Fudge of the U.S. Department…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2025/05/30/5-proven-ways-to-build-social-connections-in-your-community/
Authored by Risa Wilkerson, Executive Director of Healthy Places by Design The need for strong mental health has never been greater, but there are now clear actions municipal leaders can…
The truth is simple: America needs investment in infrastructure. Local governments face challenges around water, transportation and broadband infrastructure, as well as workforce development — and the result impacts our economy…
The National League of Cities’ Early Childhood Success team joined Boston Medical Center’s Vital Village Community Engagement Network in Denver, Colorado for three days to kick off their Networks of…
Cities, towns, and villages are places of innovation and solution finding. If you want to improve early childhood wellbeing—local leaders are key partners. The Networks of Opportunity for Child Wellbeing…
A coastal city located 60 miles south of Boston, New Bedford, Massachusetts, was world-famous in the 19th century for the fleets of whaling ships sailing out of its port. It…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2022/04/22/do-green-bonds-make-sense-for-your-city/
Sales of municipal bonds for “green” purposes set a new record in 2021, with more than $20 billion raised for projects like solar panel installations, energy efficiency upgrades, and improved…
https://www.nlc.org/article/2023/08/23/4-things-city-leaders-need-to-know-about-opportunity-youth/
As city leaders work to create vibrant, inclusive, and thriving cities, it’s important for them to understand the unique challenges and opportunities presented by different populations. One specific demographic garnering…