ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE ● PUBLIC SAFETY ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● HOUSING NATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● PUBLIC LESAFETYAGUE ● INFRA ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTUREOF ●CITIES ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE ● PUBLIC SAFETY ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● HOUSING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● PUBLIC SAFETY ● INFRA ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE ● PUBLIC SAFETY ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● PUBLIC SAFETY ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE ● PUBLIC SAFETY ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTState ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY of ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● PUBLIC SAFETY ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTUREthe ● PUBLIC SAFETY Cities ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC 2017 DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● HOUSING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● PUBLIC SAFETY ● INFRA ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE ● PUBLIC SAFETY ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● HOUSING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● PUBLIC SAFETY ● INFRA ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE ● PUBLIC SAFETY ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● PUBLIC SAFETY ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE ● PUBLIC SAFETY ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● PUBLIC SAFETY ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE ● PUBLIC SAFETY ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● PUBLIC SAFETY ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE ● PUBLIC SAFETY ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● PUBLIC SAFETY ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE ● PUBLIC SAFETY ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● PUBLIC SAFETY ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● BUDGET ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ● EDUCATION ● PUBLIC SAFETY INFRASTRUCTURE ● PUBLIC ● PUBLIC SAFETY SAFETY ● EDUCATION ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● HOUSING ● ● ECONOMIC HOUSING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● BUDGET● PUBLIC SAFETY● PUBLIC ● INFRASTRUCTURE SAFETY ● INFRA ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC ● ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE ● PUBLIC ● PUBLIC SAFETY SAFETY ● EDUCATION ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● HOUSING ● ● ECONOMIC HOUSING State● of the● ●Cities ● ● 2017● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY EDUCATION ● EDUCATIONHOUSING● HOUSING BUDGET ● BUDGET PUBLIC SAFETY● PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE SAFETY ● INFRA- ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC ● ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE PUBLIC SAFETY EDUCATION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY HOUSING ECONOMIC About the National League of Cities The National League of Cities (NLC) is the nation’s Table of Contents leading advocacy organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. Through its membership and 1 Introduction partnerships with state municipal leagues, NLC serves 3 Key Findings as a resource and advocate for more than 19,000 cities and towns and more than 218 million Americans. NLC’s 9 Economic Development Center for City Solutions provides research and analysis 11 Public Safety on key topics and trends important to cities and creative solutions to improve the quality of life in communities. 13 Infrastructure 15 Budgets About the Authors Trevor Langan is Research Associate, Christiana K. 17 Housing McFarland is Research Director and Brooks Rainwater is Senior Executive and Director of NLC’s Center for City 19 Education Solutions. 21 Environment & Energy Acknowledgements 23 Health The authors would like to acknowledge Soren Messner- 25 Demographics Zidell & JoElla Straley who designed the report, and Courtney Bernard who helped edit the report. 27 Data & Technology 29 Conclusion 31 Appendix Photo credits: All photos Getty Images, 2017, unless otherwise noted. © 2017 National League of Cities. All Rights Reserved. INFRASTRUCTURE ● PUBLIC ● PUBLIC SAFETY SAFETY ● EDUCATION ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● HOUSING ● ● ECONOMIC HOUSING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● BUDGET● PUBLIC SAFETY● PUBLIC ● INFRASTRUCTURE SAFETY ● INFRA ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC ● ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE ● PUBLIC ● PUBLIC SAFETY SAFETY ● EDUCATION ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● HOUSING ● ● ECONOMIC HOUSING State● of the● ●Cities ● ● 2017● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY EDUCATION ● EDUCATIONHOUSING● HOUSING BUDGET ● BUDGET PUBLIC SAFETY● PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE SAFETY ● INFRA- ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC ● ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE PUBLIC SAFETY EDUCATION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY HOUSING ECONOMIC Introduction Top 10 Issues ver the past year, all aspects of life seem to have become politicized, Oespecially the way we think about cities. On the one hand, cities are drivers of creativity, productivity and growth. On the other, crime, afordability and racial and income disparities are very real problems. Which is right? Econ. Development Public Safety The reality is that both of these narratives motivated to reconcile—all that is great and all 66% are often true at the same time in the same that must be improved in our cities. city in diferent ways. As Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett stated in his 2017 State of the The State of the City speech is a reflection Infrastructure 64% City address, “Despite our strong economic of the mayor’s priorities as well as the city’s accomplishments, challenges and roadmap progress, we confront persistent challenges 43% on a daily basis—concentrated poverty, for the future. National League of Cities’ Budgets violent crime, aging infrastructure and the annual State of the Cities report is a content 43% nagging problems tied to the foreclosure analysis of mayors’ own words. It identifies both top-level issues, such as economic crisis.” Although one characterization does Housing not fit all, a common factor is that mayors development and infrastructure, and specific 42% have emerged as the nation’s leaders who policies, such as workforce training and are directly confronting—and often most transit in 120 mayoral speeches. Education 36% San Diego, CA Mayor 24% Kevin Faulconer Energy & Environment 23% Health 21% 16% Demographics Data & Tech. 1 2 Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images, 2017 INFRASTRUCTURE ● PUBLIC ● PUBLIC SAFETY SAFETY ● EDUCATION ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● HOUSING ● ● ECONOMIC HOUSING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● BUDGET● PUBLIC SAFETY● PUBLIC ● INFRASTRUCTURE SAFETY ● INFRA ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● EDUCATION ● EDUCATION ● HOUSING ● HOUSING ● BUDGET ● BUDGET● DATA/TECHNOLOGY● DATA/TECHNOLOGY ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● INFRASTRUCTURE ● ECONOMIC ● ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE ● PUBLIC ● PUBLIC SAFETY SAFETY ● EDUCATION ● EDUCATION ● ECONOMIC ● ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● HOUSING ● ● ECONOMIC HOUSING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENTState ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY ● ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY of the ● EDUCATION ● EDUCATION ●Cities HOUSING