Spotlight: Curating the Tools to Put Equity First

September 29, 2025

The Neighborhood Design Center’s Equitable Engagement Toolkit: Prioritizing Equity in the Community Design Process is a curated library of 51 resources designed to help practitioners put equity at the center...

“Collaboration is Ingrained in Our City’s Culture”

September 1, 2025

“Collaboration is Ingrained in Our City’s Culture.” So said Mayor Jimmy Gray of Hampton, VA, as he joined hundreds of local residents in celebrating Hampton’s designation as an All-America City...

Local Governments and Community Foundations: Partners in Public Problem-Solving

August 31, 2025

Local institutions face a crisis of confidence in our current approach to solving public problems. Millions of reasonable Americans, in red, blue, and purple communities, don’t sufficiently know or value...

Reimagining Public Meetings: A Step-by-Step Guide for Working with Your City 

August 31, 2025

Public meetings are where decisions are made, but they’re often seen as unwelcoming, overly formal, or ineffective spaces for two-way dialogue. If you’ve ever left a meeting thinking, there has...

Mapping Civic Opportunity in America: What the Data Reveals About Democracy’s Hidden Infrastructure 

July 31, 2025

What makes democracy work? Beyond voting and electoral processes, civic infrastructure encompasses a network of organizations that provide everyday people with opportunities to engage, lead, and act together. In a...

Decatur’s Charter Review Brings Civic Innovation to the Forefront

July 31, 2025

We’re proud to share that Decatur, Georgia is launching a groundbreaking Charter Review Commission, with support from the National Civic League. For the first time in the U.S., a city...

Reimagining Our Dysfunctional Town Halls

July 31, 2025

I have a confession to make: in the past decade, I have been to exactly one town hall with my member of Congress. It’s a little embarrassing, considering that I’m...

Why Even the “Losers” Embraced the Outcome: What Citizens’ Assemblies Teach Us About Democratic Legitimacy 

July 1, 2025

 In democratic politics, every decision produces winners and losers. Whether through elections, referenda, or public consultations, someone’s preferred policy will lose. The critical question is: Will the losing side accept...

New Parklet Will Honor the Legacy of Historic Scanlonville in Mount Pleasant

July 1, 2025

By Eric LaFontaine – Communications Director, Mount Pleasant, SC Mount Pleasant is taking a meaningful step toward honoring one of its historic communities with the creation of the Scanlonville Praise House...

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