High-road policy and governance promotes shared prosperity, environmental sustainability, and efficient democratic government. Building high-road cities, metropolitan regions, and states is both good for citizens and a key way to move the national dialogue toward progressive policy solutions. Learn about a new effort at UW-Madison aimed at coordinating teaching, research, and service in service of building high-road places in Wisconsin. Building these kinds of cities is complex, and local governments need partners who can guide them through these complexities. This is the aim of the UniverCity Year program, a three-year partnership between local governments at UW-Madison where students and faculty work on projects identified by localities. Coordination with complementary UW-Milwaukee programs will also be discussed.