Latest Posts

Podcast: Civil Rights & Racial Equity with Joshua Barr, Des Moines, IA

Joshua Barr Director of Civil and Human Rights City of Des Moines, IA LinkedIn | Twitter Breaking bread, building bridges. Joshua Barr, Director of Civil & Human Rights at the City of Des Moines, Iowa, joined the podcast to discuss his work with the City, including his Emmy Award-winning documentary. He talked about the engagement … Continued

We Can Never Go Back to Before

Today’s Buzz is by Jenny Kosek (Twitter and LinkedIn), Community Engagement Coordinator for the City of West Allis, Wisconsin. What I’m Reading: Radium Girls by Kate Moore What I’m Listening To: Radiolab What I’m Watching: Shrill ________________________ In the 1997 blockbuster musical “Ragtime,” characters from across social, ethnic, and economic backgrounds encounter the upheaval and evolution … Continued

Energy: From Drawings to Local Ordinances

S. Mohsen Fatemi, PhD Student in Public Administration, at the University of Kansas. Also, an urban planner and architect experienced in energy-efficiency, sustainability, and climate action planning, wrote this article as part of the environment and sustainability series. Connect with Mohsen on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Email.  You can sign-up to write for this series, too! … Continued

COVID Changes: Identifying What to Keep, What to Add, and What to Change

Today’s Buzz is by Greg Stopka (Twitter and LinkedIn) What I’m watching: Might Ducks Game Changers on Disney+ What I am listening to: Commentary on the Bears drafting Justin Fields What I’m playing:  Fantasy Baseball What I’m doing:  Staining my shed At the Park District of Oak Park, we are currently engaging staff in a conversation … Continued

Webinar Rewind: WFH Teambuilding

This webinar originally aired on May 11, 2021, as part of the series Connectivity & COVID-19: A Year Later. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many of us to work from home for the first time, realizing just how much we took workplace connections for granted. How do we keep our teams engaged when everyone is in … Continued

Podcast: Land Use & Sprawl in Houston with William Fulton, Rice University

William Fulton Director, Kinder Institute for Urban Research Rice University Bio | LinkedIn | Twitter Building better cities. William Fulton, the Director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University, joined the podcast for a wide ranging conversation about development, planning, and land use in Houston, Texas. He talked about the market forces … Continued

Green Collar Jobs a Catalyst for Strong Communities

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. Many ways exist to address poverty, unemployment, and social equity. The green collar industry made up of recycling, landscaping, food production, and energy production … Continued

In Praise of “Slow”

Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Stephanie Chase, Executive Director of the Libraries of Eastern Oregon and Founding Principal of the Constructive Disruption consultancy. Follow Stephanie on Twitter and LinkedIn. What I’m Reading: Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell (space opera FTW) What I’m Listening to: What Would Danbury Do? podcast (a deep dive into the Bridgerton … Continued

Podcast: Investing in Infrastructure with Kip Eideberg, Association of Equipment Manufacturers

Kip Eideberg Sr. Vice President, Government & Industry Relations Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) LinkedIn | Twitter Rebuild with purpose. Kip Eideberg, Sr. Vice President at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), joined the podcast to talk about infrastructure and manufacturing. He shared results from AEM’s recent Infrastructure Vision 2050 report and the need for federal infrastructure … Continued

Accepting Applications: Summer 2021 PAFR Fellowship Program

ELGL and the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) created the PAFR Fellowship Program to connect graduate students with local governments looking to create a Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR) for submission to the GFOA award program. COVID-19 makes it difficult for graduate students to find meaningful professional work experiences (internships)—either due to hiring freezes or … Continued

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