Exclusive Content: Planning & Shaping Cities

Improving American Cities through Urban Parks

Posted on April 21, 2021

Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Rebecca Cormier, Government Technology Consultant – connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter! What I am reading: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie What I am listening to: Armchair Expert podcast What I am watching: The Other Two _____________________________________________________________________________ With warmer weather approaching, what better time...

Which Permitting Software is Right For You?

Posted on April 21, 2021

This guide was shared with ELGL by our friends at OpenGov. With so many options out there for permitting software, figuring out which solution has the features your organization needs can feel daunting, especially when juggling the day to day demands of local governance. That’s why we’ve created this quick guide to help government leaders...

The Future of Main Streets

Posted on February 24, 2021

This article was written by Rachel Witt, Executive Director of the South Grand Community Improvement District. Read all of our Planning & Shaping Cities Articles. As COVID-19 continues, the makeup of our main streets will forever be changed. The slow build of closures this winter will change the footprint of many communities that will be bleak...

Culture Shifts Require Being, Not Doing

Posted on February 12, 2021

It is often said that getting things done is about less talking and more doing. I know I have been guilty of using that as a mantra on a regular basis. However, what if we adopted a new mantra? Something along the lines of “less doing and more being”? Hear me out on this. I...

Rebuilding a City Requires Partners

Posted on February 3, 2021

This article was written by Rachel Witt, Executive Director of the South Grand Community Improvement District. Read all of our Planning & Shaping Cities Articles. To rebuild a city requires many partners within a community. How do we connect our community? A community is connected through the partnership of nonprofits, business leaders, and universities, with the...

Two people walking down a busy main street

How To Be A Successful Special Taxing District

Posted on January 22, 2021

This article was written by Rachel Witt, Executive Director of the South Grand Community Improvement District. Read all of our Planning & Shaping Cities Articles. Special taxing districts designated for a main street all serve the same purpose, to provide communities resources that their city, town, village, or county cannot afford. Taxing districts’ goal for a...

Equitable Community Planning Toolkit

Posted on December 2, 2020

This toolkit was shared with ELGL by our friends at Fourth Economy. Economic Development describes the process of growing an economy by using policies and programs to create and retain jobs, increase wealth, strengthen the tax base, and improve the economic well-being of a community. Traditionally, measures of economic well-being have focused on fiscal health....

Rethinking Optics

Posted on November 30, 2020

These days, there are so many things done in local government that are all about perception. Perhaps it’s the way they “pivot” in response to an unexpected turn of events. Maybe it is striking the right “tone” in the language they use as advised by the public information staff. In some cases, it is the...

Why Your City Might Be Failing at Public Engagement — And How to Do Better

Posted on October 27, 2020

During the many years I spent in city government, there were hundreds of conversations that revolved around one central frustration: the lack of attendance at public engagement events and the lack of responsiveness from the community. Trust me, many of the staff doing the work of putting together plans and ordinances are not excited to...