Four Lessons Learned From the Federal Funding and Livable Communities Cohort by Mark Funkhouser In this time of unprecedented federal funding, local government officials are facing immense pressure to capitalize…
Smart investments for water systems and how to pay for them By Mark Funkhouser In 2017, main breaks, lapses in service and billing errors were frustrating facts of life for…
A roadmap to a green, healthy, equitable economy in Appalachia and beyond By Mark Funkhouser As someone who grew up in a working-class family of steelworkers in West Virginia, my…
What police really need to do: Catch crooks by Mark Funkhouser In his State of the Union Address, President Joe Biden took on those who want to defund the police,…
The well-being of public workers in an age of anxiety By Mark Funkhouser How are your local government’s employees doing? If you don’t know the answer to that, you should….
Communities and the Untapped Potential of Baby Boomers by Mark Funkhouser State and local governments have long known they have a workforce pipeline problem, but the Great Resignation brought on…
Banks Are Following The Money On Climate Change. That’s A Good Thing. by Mark Funkhouser This year’s COP26 international climate change conference has seen unprecedented participation from the finance industry,…
How To Manage Against Increasing Volatility: Lessons From A City That Went Bankrupt by Mark Funkhouser For many folks working in government, Stockton, California, wouldn’t be the first place that…
Three Small Yet Powerful Ideas to Make Your City a Pedestrian Paradise by Mark Funkhouser For modern cities, the pathway to economic success just might be a sidewalk. When we…
As someone who’s advocated for local-government workers for 40 years, I’m going to tell you something you’d never expect me to say but that I truly believe: Cities should employ a lot fewer people.