Beginning last fall, a webinar highlighting the New York City street ambassador program inspired Gabriela Barillas-Longoria, livability planner for Tucson, Arizona, to think up new ways to increase community engagement. “I started thinking of how we could scale it down … Continue reading →
When Midway, Kentucky, began looking into adopting a fairness ordinance in 2015, many of the objectors declared that such an ordinance would harm the city’s economy. But since the passing of the ordinance, Midway has seen the exact opposite of … Continue reading →
One of the most difficult duties of a city manager, or elected official, is the task of maintaining adequate water and sewer rates and increasing rates when necessary. Even the conversation of reviewing rates seems to create more citizen complaints … Continue reading →
While tobacco and textiles may have built Danville, Va., into a thriving metropolis in the south central part of the state, solar energy is sparking the city’s revival. Danville, located in Pittsylvania County, was founded in 1793 on the bank … Continue reading →
In early spring, COVID-19 began spreading across the United States. Suddenly, many businesses were deemed nonessential and shut down. Schools and government offices closed, and sheltering in place became the norm. People began wearing masks and maintaining a 6-foot distance … Continue reading →
“Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink” are perhaps the most quoted words from English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s immortal “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” This precious life-giving liquid is essential to our health and well-being — so much so that … Continue reading →
We can thank the Germans who in the 1930s gave rise to a new word: Verkehrsberuhigung, literally translating to traffic calming. This practice protected residential areas from through traffic by means of speed bumps, narrower roads, physical design, traffic control … Continue reading →
While water is often taken for granted by the average consumer, members of public works departments know the immense value water has to a community and there is a finite amount available in a given year. For decades, municipalities have … Continue reading →
Tom Sanders said one of the things he enjoys most about being the director of public works for the city of Moberly, Mo., is the diversity his job brings. “I run across something different every day,” he said. “A large … Continue reading →
People asking for money on the streets of cities and towns goes way back. Some reports state the term “panhandling” seemingly originated in the ’30s when people from the Oklahoma/Texas panhandle migrated to California to escape the Dust Bowl, often … Continue reading →
When it comes to net zero energy, the city of Burlington, Vt., holds the road map to success. Sept. 9, 2019, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, in conjunction with the Burlington Electric Department, released the Net Zero Energy Road Map, which … Continue reading →
