Exclusive Content: Planning & Shaping Cities

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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 the articles in Rachel's Lessons & Partnerships in Community & Economic Development series. Special taxing districts designated for a main street all serve the same purpose, to provide communities resources that their city, town, village, or county...

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...

Simplicity in Four-Steps

Posted on September 24, 2020

There is a never-ending supply of theories on how government should operate and function. Philosophies and theories are constantly evolving. Meanwhile, cities continue to struggle with cohesion, consensus, and execution. A lack of continuity and consistent practices are a frequent complaint of residents, and the pet projects of the few replace the needs and desires...

Being Busy is Not Equivalent to Being Successful

Posted on August 28, 2020

Governments are often obsessed with quantifying and measuring. The rationale makes sense; after all, how better to determine performance and effectiveness? In an industry that is known for both tangible and intangible results, an understanding is crucial. This is further demanded by a desire for accountability and transparency by citizens, the need to evaluate programs...

Skillful Stewardship in Times of Crisis

Posted on May 12, 2020

If there ever were a time to focus on ways to “future-proof” cities, COVID-19 certainly presented it. City governments are being tested, and frustrations and fears are everywhere. It is sobering to consider what daily life will look like six months from now. Nevertheless, we must move forward. This is not a dissertation on how...

The Customer is Always Right…

Posted on February 7, 2020

This Morning Buzz is by Christian Williams, a Planner with the City of Goodyear, AZ and an ELGL Board of Directors member! Planner of the Week My city has what is called a “Planner of the Week” (POW); my three colleagues and I rotate through being the POW (for a weeklong period). During this weeklong...

Real Talk about Residential

Posted on February 6, 2020

Cities aren’t cities without people. That’s, of course, why residential zoning makes up such a large part of every community. The talk of 2019 in planning circles largely focused on single-family zoning reform that made headlines in cities like Minneapolis and Seattle and led to sweeping changes in states like Oregon and Virginia. The realization...