2022 Year in Review

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The State Smart Transportation Initiative (SSTI) supports state and local transportation agencies across the US in moving toward more resilient, equitable, and transparent practices. Leaders from 11 state agencies met for the first in-person Community of Practice since the start of the pandemic, covering issues related to transportation emissions, aging urban highways, working with allies and advocates, and advancing equity.

Measuring multimodal access to opportunities. SSTI led pilot projects for state transportation agencies in California and Minnesota, plus the City of Houston, leveraging methods outlined in our guide, Measuring Accessibility. We also published a research report exploring the use of accessibility analysis in predicting travel outcomes like vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and transit ridership.

Cutting transportation emissions. SSTI maintained a network for state transportation agencies as they develop climate strategies and action plans. Lessons and best practices from virtual workshops and technical assistance were shared in a series of webinars:

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Managing transportation demand. Over the past several years, SSTI supported Los Angeles, CA, and Madison, WI, in developing comprehensive transportation demand management (TDM) programs, aimed at improving transportation options through development review. Madison’s program was adopted unanimously by its Common Council in 2022 and the Los Angeles program is nearing full implementation. Both are modeled off Modernizing Mitigation, produced by SSTI with the Mayors Innovation Project.

Sharing best practices. SSTI continues sharing current research and best practices through our blog, newsletter, and webinars. Some of our most popular resources in 2022 include:

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Through the Mayors Innovation Project – a national learning network for mayors – we engaged 160 mayors and city leaders, providing policy support, peer learning, and leadership development opportunities focused on addressing our core values of equity, sustainability, and democracy. Here are some highlights:

Mayors and senior officials from cities across the country joined our in-person events in 2022. Our 2022 Winter Policy Meeting in DC hosted discussions on federal funding, policing reform, and efforts to support minority owned businesses. Our Summer 2022 Meeting in Tacoma, WA featured content on ways cities can integrate equity into city decision making, partner with anchor institutions to create mutually beneficial outcomes, and pursue zoning reform to advance housing diversity.
In May 2022, with partners, we released a report featuring the results of a national survey of mayors which showed a marked increase in political violence, particularly aimed at women mayors and mayors of color. In May, we debuted #MayorsSafety Month, hosting virtual trainings prioritizing the physical security and mental and emotional wellness of mayors and city staff.
We continued to provide resources to advance the leadership of women mayors through our Women Mayors Network (WMN). WMN hosted Rep. Marilyn Strickland at our convening in Tacoma, engaged in timely discussions with members from the White House Intergovernmental Affairs Office, and held virtual sessions to support women mayors’ leadership.
Our partnership with the American Institute of Architects’ Blueprint for Better campaign supported three cities – Eastpointe, MI; Clarksville, TN; and Blacksburg, VA – in working to rehabilitate existing buildings for public use and benefit.
We concluded our five-year project with the Legacy Alliance for Community Health, working with 18 communities in Wisconsin to implement Health in All Policies (HiAP) projects. This work, in partnership with the Population Health Institute at UW-Madison, resulted in replicable local models for HiAP in small and mid-size communities, many of which are referenced in our 2022 brief Meeting the Health Equity Imperative.
In partnership with the Water Center at Penn, we continued our water affordability program, offering peer networking through our national Community of Practice and technical assistance focused on supporting mayors and utility leaders in delivering affordable, efficient, resilient, and equitable water systems.
Six US cities – Carlisle, PA; Holland, MI; Middleton, WI; Petaluma, CA; South Portland, ME; and Steelton, PA – are improving health and equity outcomes for children through our Healthy Babies Initiative.

Released for Labor Day 2022, the State of Working Wisconsin celebrates promising trends and worker achievements, while continuing to shine a light on the deep underlying challenges and inequalities facing Wisconsin workers. The report includes sections on jobs, wages, unions, and Wisconsin worker organizing in 2022.

The State of Working Wisconsin has presented the workers’ perspective on the economy since 1996.

To align with the release of the State of Working Wisconsin, High Road Strategy Center and the Havens Wright Center for Social Justice hosted Working Wisconsin 2022: What’s Motivating Worker Organizing in Wisconsin, an online panel event featuring organizers from unionizing drives across the state. Held on Sept. 7, the panel included Wisconsin workers from important drives to improve jobs in health care, entertainment venues, hotels, and more.

In 2022, we released two reports analyzing the potential impacts of public spending on a proposed soccer stadium and mixed-use development dubbed “The Iron District” in downtown Milwaukee.

Playing with Public Money in Milwaukee details the economic impact of similar developments in five other cities, while Worker Power Levels the Playing Field centers the question of how to ensure community benefits from public investment in private interests such as the Iron District.

ProGov21 featured 10 contributing policy organizations that focus on a range of issues spanning from affordable childcare and food to policing and transportation. These featured contributors joined us on the ProGov Podcast, which resulted in 10 new podcast episodes.

In April of 2022, ProGov21 launched a new and improved website. The new website offers updated digital library search and filtering functions, newly designed Policy Roadmaps, updated material submission options, and many more features designed to streamline the use of our platform.

ProGov21 is a fully searchable digital library of progressive policies and practices for local government. In 2022, approximately 200 new policies, model laws, fact sheets and more were added to the ProGov21 library.

Additionally, nine Policy Roadmaps were updated:

And two new Roadmaps were added:

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