Mayors Innovation Project
The Mayors Innovation Project (MIP) is a national peer-learning network of mayors committed to shared prosperity, environmental sustainability, and efficient democratic government.
High Road Leadership Networks
Mayors face complex challenges—but they don’t have to face them alone. Through our networks, we connect city leaders with the peers, experts, and resources they need to drive change. In 2024, our convenings brought together 175+ mayors and city staff, providing actionable strategies on topics like pedestrian safety, housing affordability, and climate resilience. Leaders left with real solutions— from securing federal funds to reforming zoning and ensuring election integrity. By fostering collaboration and sharing high-impact policies, we empower mayors to build more just, sustainable, and resilient communities.
Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety
With pedestrian fatalities on the rise, the Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety (MIPS) equips city leaders with strategies to make streets safer. In 2024, ten mayors participated in the 2nd cohort, providing them with hands-on workshops, funding guidance, and peer learning sessions. Highlights include Boise, ID launching a traffic safety task force, and Chattanooga, TN securing federal funding to improve pedestrian crossings. By providing mayors with the tools and knowledge to take action, MIPS is empowering mayors to lead the charge for safer streets in cities nationwide.
Women Mayors Network
Women mayors face unique challenges, and the Women Mayors Network (WMN) provides a space for connection, support, and leadership development. In 2024, we partnered with RepresentWomen to host a gathering where mayors shared experiences, strategies, and policy solutions that prioritize gender equity. The WMN ensures that women mayors have the tools and community to push for systemic change in their cities. Through this network, members gain access to vetted high- road policy options and resources that help advance intersectional gender equity, while also informing and supporting the broader MIP community in combating sexism and racism in leadership.
2024 Summer and Winter Meetings
Our Winter and Summer Meetings brought together 175+ mayors and city staff to tackle urgent city challenges—from election integrity to climate resilience.
At the Winter Meeting, city leaders and experts guided mayors on protecting voting access ahead of the 2024 elections, securing federal infrastructure funding, and modernizing zoning policies to address the housing crisis. Keynote speaker, Ian Bassin of Protect Democracy, reinforced the essential role of local leadership in safeguarding democracy.
The Summer Meeting in Knoxville, TN, centered on violence prevention, climate action, and economic development, equipping mayors with strategies to drive community-led investments, strengthen tenant protections, and integrate sustainability across city departments. Reverend Harold Middlebrook, a civil rights leader and close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., delivered the keynote address, offering a powerful reflection on leadership, justice, and community resilience.
Actionable Support for Local Leaders
Local leaders drive change, but they need the right tools to succeed. We provide practical resources and expert guidance to help cities tackle urgent challenges—from extreme heat to water affordability. In 2024, our Good Ideas for Cities newsletters and Water Wednesday webinars delivered actionable strategies on sustainability and equity. Through webinars, technical assistance, and policy insights, we equip leaders with the knowledge to implement bold, high-impact solutions—ensuring cities are not just prepared for the future, but actively shaping it.
Women Mayors Research Project
Women mayors often face unique barriers while campaigning for office and serving in leadership roles. To better understand these challenges, we launched a research project, conducting a nationwide survey of all mayors and in-depth interviews with over 45 women mayors. The findings informed new tools and recommendations to support women in leadership, strengthening our commitment to equity and resilience in local government.
Water Wednesdays
Our Water Wednesday webinar series provides city leaders with strategies to navigate water affordability and infrastructure challenges. In 2024, we convened national experts to address the EPA’s new PFAS regulations, helping cities prepare for costly water system upgrades while protecting vulnerable households. These discussions ensure leaders have the tools to build resilient, affordable water systems.
Welcoming and Protecting Immigrants
Amid federal constraints, cities are leading efforts to welcome and protect immigrants. Our Good Ideas for Cities report highlighted innovative strategies—from sanctuary policies in San Francisco to economic attraction programs in St. Louis—helping local leaders create more inclusive, thriving communities.
Creative Tactics Cities are Using to Address the Child Care Shortage
With childcare costs skyrocketing, cities are stepping up where federal policies fall short. Our report showcased Boise, ID’s property tax rebates for in-home providers, Madison, SD’s tax districts for child care centers, and New Orleans LA’s voter-backed early education investment. By highlighting these models, we provide local leaders with actionable solutions to make child care more affordable and accessible.
State Smart Transportation Initiative
The State Smart Transportation Initiative (SSTI) supports state transportation agencies in advancing equity, sustainability, and transparency by convening top transportation officials, building agency capacity, and sharing knowledge—empowering states to innovate and improve transportation outcomes nationwide.
Informing Transportation Policy
SSTI brings new ideas and best practices to transportation agencies across the country, ensuring that sustainable, equitable solutions reach communities nationwide. Better transportation policy starts with better information, and in 2024, SSTI provided data-driven research and technical assistance to help states meet ambitious environmental targets and expand multimodal access. Through webinars, reports, and hands-on guidance, we translate complex challenges into actionable strategies, empowering policymakers to create livable, efficient, and inclusive transportation systems that work for everyone.
2024 Blog Highlights
Too much driving is bad for society, new studies show
New research shows that reducing car dependence benefits not only the environment but also personal well-being and community engagement. A U.S. study found that excessive car use lowers life satisfaction, while research from Germany and Wisconsin links biking and walkability to stronger social ties and civic participation. These findings showcase the need for policies that expand transportation options beyond driving.
Dedicated bus lanes improve safety
U.S. DOT-funded bus rapid transit (BRT) projects are proving to enhance street safety while providing rail-like benefits at lower costs. A study on Albuquerque’s BRT infrastructure found that excessive vehicle speeds dropped by 11.5% overall, with even greater reductions at intersections and lane reductions—improving safety before buses even started running. The research underscores how multimodal street designs can curb unsafe driving while maintaining mobility options.
Connecting Leaders for Transportation Solutions
Transportation leaders need more than ideas—they need a network. SSTI’s Sustainability Network and Community of Practice (COP) meetings bring together state agencies to collaborate, problem-solve, and drive innovation. In 2024, our convenings helped agencies prioritize equity in project funding, develop emissions-reduction plans, and modernize outdated infrastructure policies. By fostering these connections, we ensure that states don’t just share best practices—they implement them, making transportation systems safer, greener, and more effective.
Sustainability Network
Our Sustainability Network serves as a key peer-to-peer forum for state transportation agency leaders to explore emerging research, share best practices, and address critical issues like cutting transportation emissions and modernizing project prioritization. In 2024, 12 sessions connected policymakers with experts—including former U.S. DOT officials—to dive into innovative funding models and cutting-edge strategies. This network continues to equip agencies with the tools they need to build more sustainable, resilient transportation systems.
Community of Practice
In September, SSTI convened 20 transportation officials from 14 states in St. Paul, MN, for hands-on learning and peer exchange. Agency leaders toured Olson Memorial Highway and Union Depot, gaining insight into highway right-sizing, passenger rail expansion, and culture change. These COP discussions drive real policy shifts, ensuring states implement more efficient, inclusive mobility solutions.
Work and Opportunity
Work and Opportunity advances economic justice by focusing on job quality and worker power. Through research, policy development, and public engagement, we work with advocates, union leaders, and policymakers to pursue high-road policy and practice that improves jobs and access to them. Since 1996, our State of Working Wisconsin report has tracked workers’ view of the economy—informing policies that promote dignity, opportunity, and shared prosperity.
Worker Power as Force for Value Creation
Workers deserve decent wages, safe jobs, and a voice in shaping those jobs. In 2024, through Work and Opportunity, we advanced job quality, racial and gender equity, and worker power through reports, technical assistance, and national coalition work. We released key reports on community benefits agreements, collective bargaining, and economic trends, equipping policymakers with strategies to strengthen worker protections. As a core partner in the Good Jobs Collaborative, we helped shape a national movement to show worker power as a critical aspect of workforce development. We provided support to state advocates working to improve job quality and worker power. Through reports, webinars, coalition, and direct support, we are building a future where worker power drives equitable opportunity for all.
The State of Working Wisconsin 2024
The State of Working Wisconsin 2024 revealed record-high job numbers and historic wage gains, especially for lower-wage workers. However, racial, gender, and geographic wage gaps persist, underscoring the need for stronger worker protections and equitable policies. The report continues to inform labor, community, and political leaders about opportunity and exclusion in Wisconsin, and document the need for stronger labor standards and public investment in working families.
2024 Work and Opportunity Highlights
Covering the Bases
In February 2024, and in partnership with St. Louis grassroots leaders, we released Covering the Bases: Community Benefits for Public Subsidies in Kansas City, which examines the proposed $2 billion stadium deal for the Kansas City Royals. The report highlights the shortcomings of stadium projects in delivering promised economic benefits and stresses the need for strong community accountability and job quality. Drawing on the successful Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks, it advocates for a similar agreement in Kansas City to secure fair wages, labor peace, and better job conditions for service workers, while addressing racial and economic inequities.
From Community Benefits to Collective Bargaining and Back
Released in March 2024, From Community Benefits to Collective Bargaining and Back, explores how service workers secure better wages, benefits, and working conditions through unions. The report highlights how the Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Organization (MASH) union is rooted in Community Benefits Agreements (CBA) and offers a model for cities nationwide.
Good Jobs Collaborative
The High Road Strategy Center (HRSC) is an active participant and founding member of the Good Jobs Collaborative, a national coalition of policy organizations and worker advocates committed to reshaping workforce development in the United States. As part of the Good Jobs Collaborative, we worked alongside leading organizations to redefine workforce policy around racial and gender equity.
Through this work, we co-authored Unleashing Worker Power: Building Good Jobs Beyond the Traditional Workforce System, showcasing successful worker-led initiatives across industries and reinforcing the need for policies that put workers first.
Industrial Policy and Worker Power
Across 2024, we provided support and guidance to the Economic Policy Institute’s Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN). We provided training, community learning, and direct assistance to state advocates to help them realize the job quality and equity potential of federal investments in infrastructure and clean energy.
ProGov21
ProGov21 is a comprehensive digital policy library, helping local governments turn ideas into action. Our searchable platform offers model ordinances, policy briefs, fact sheets, and expert roadmaps, giving city leaders tools to implement proven, high-impact policies. From housing and childcare to energy efficiency and public health, ProGov21 simplifies policymaking with curated, ready-to-use solutions that drive real change.
Aggregate High Road Resources
Local leaders need proven, high-road policy solutions—fast. Each week, ProGov21 updates its curated library with evidence-based policies providing actionable solutions for local governments. Every resource is carefully vetted, giving city officials a trusted source for ready-to- implement strategies.
New AI technology
In fall 2024 we implemented a new AI tool from the Data Science Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This tool allows us to aggregate more high- quality resources from our trusted contributors faster. Once the tool scrapes websites for documents, our team of researchers reviews them and uploads those that align with our high-road mission.
Policy Recommendations Made Simple
The policy landscape is complex, but ProGov21’s roadmaps make it easier to navigate. Each month, we publish concise, 1,500-word or less roadmaps on critical issues—from energy efficiency to reproductive health—helping local officials cut through the noise and take action.
Environment
Released in April, this roadmap helps local leaders tackle climate change, pollution, and resource depletion while advancing equity. It covers climate action planning, emissions reduction, green building, and sustainable transit. Recommendations include community-driven environmental policies, renewable energy investment, green procurement, and resilience strategies to protect vulnerable populations and build sustainable, thriving communities.
Transportation and Mobility
In collaboration with the State Smart Transportation Initiative, November saw the release of our Transportation and Mobility roadmap to help local leaders expand sustainable, equitable transportation. It covers funding strategies, integrated land use, safety, and public engagement. Recommendations include leveraging federal/state resources, Complete Streets policies, congestion pricing, and zoning reforms to improve access, reduce emissions, and support connected communities.
Voting Rights
This roadmap, published in December, outlines how local governments and advocates can expand voting access amid increasing state-level restrictions. Strategies include boosting voter registration, improving voting infrastructure, combating gerrymandering, promoting ranked choice voting, and strengthening local election practices. Where preempted, localities can still advocate for reforms and promote education to raise awareness about voting rights issues.
Making the Most of the Moment: Building Municipal Capacity for Federal Funds
In August, we partnered with our sister organization, the Mayors Innovation Project, to release Making the Most of the Moment: Building Municipal Capacity for Federal Funds. This report explores how cities—especially small and mid-sized ones—can overcome administrative barriers to accessing historic federal funding for climate resilience, infrastructure, and community services, highlighting strategies like peer networks, cross-departmental planning, and regional collaboration.
GPAL
Government Performance Action & Learning (GPAL) helps local governments track progress, measure what matters, and compare performance nationwide. With clear data dashboards and livability scores across key areas—like health, safety, and the economy— GPAL supports smarter decisions and stronger communities.
New GPAL Updates
GPAL expanded its reach and capabilities—now offering users national and state-level views alongside customized peer cohorts. With the addition of SES (SocioEconomic Status) indicators, updated index values, and a new Community Livability Snapshot, GPAL helps local leaders make sense of over 300 variables through clear, comparative dashboards. The new GPAL for Older Adults tool also ensures aging populations are reflected in community planning.
Researchers and local governments continue to use GPAL to answer tough questions. In 2024 alone, studies examined the impacts of rent burden, the link between police demographics and community outcomes, and how different government structures influence community wellbeing. Whether predicting insolvency or exploring civic health, GPAL is becoming an indispensable tool for smarter governance and stronger communities.
Meet Polly: Your AI Analyst for Government Data
In 2024, we introduced Polly, an AI-powered data analyst trained on nationwide GPAL metrics to help cities access insights in seconds—not months. With Polly, local governments can streamline strategic planning, grant writing, budgeting, and more—making data-informed decisions easier than ever. Combined with Polco’s advanced AI tools, Polly is transforming how cities use data to improve operations, engage residents, and deliver meaningful impact.
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