Commentaries

Commentaries are contributed, non-commercial and educational articles that subject matter experts write for American City & County. If you would like to submit an exclusive commentary, click here to view our guidelines.

Highlights

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The future of carbon emissions and cities lies in green buildings

When you envision the future, what do you see? For me, it’s a place where people of all...

With an historic investment in public spaces, Philadelphia’s Rebuild program is committed to equity in the process

Jobs in the construction industry are family-sustaining careers that have proven to lift...

Commentary

Ransomware attacks: Why it should be illegal to pay the ransom

When it comes to ransomware attacks on municipalities, paying hackers isn’t the right solution. First, there’s no guarantee hackers will return sensitive data. Second, there’s no guarantee cybercriminals won’t leverage and monetize the data anyway, returned or not. To effectively fight back, we need to make ransomware payments illegal, and develop a strong industry of […]

Commentary

Succession and the aging workforce in government

There’s a strong case to be made that public sector is the industry most impacted by the aging workforce in the United States and changes in workforce demographics. Changes in the workforce are making two major impacts on state and local governments and quasi-governments. The first is the need to fund pension plan obligations for […]

Commentary

Government as a Service: Maximizing enterprise content management solutions for civic innovation

From reduced operating budgets to election hacking to community planning issues, state and local entities are faced with more and more challenges in their day-to-day operations. At the same time, changes in technology and the expectations of both employees and constituents have made it more important for governments to make sure communications are streamlined, processes […]

Commentary

Closing the gap: How a facilities master plan can help your city

Cities and counties across America face the same predicament: unrelenting demand for limited resources. Without enough funding to go around, elected officials and city staff must make high-stakes decisions about public spending on a number of things, such as facilities and services. With so much to choose from and pressure being applied from all sides, […]

Using a mobile phone and computer at the same time

Commentary

The convenience of mobile voting makes it a prime target for hackers

According to the United States Elections Project, approximately 138 million Americans voted in the 2016 presidential election, only accounting for 58.1% of the eligible population. With the 2020 election season ramping up, officials are considering new ways to drive voter participation, including exploring mobile voting. When it comes to participation, mobile voting pilots to date […]

Commentary

Public housing authorities nationwide benefit from job order contracting

Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) are tasked with the responsibility of providing one of the most crucial human needs to some of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens. More than one million households live in public housing units, managed by over three thousand PHAs across the United States. Meeting the never-ending needs of public housing residents – […]

Commentary

Active shooter preparation: Don’t cross the line of traumatization

Active shooter incidents in communities, workplaces and public venues erupt, too regularly, as shocking reminders of the vulnerability to violence. Through the first nine months of 2019, a 50 percent increase in mass shootings have been reported, with at least 21 this year compared to 14 in the corresponding period in 2018. Across the country, […]

Commentary

Fund your resiliency efforts with energy savings

Connecting needs and resources can feel like the proverbial walk to school – uphill both ways. Despite increasing complexity in building consensus and procuring funding, communities are finding ways to meet growing needs with an expert eye on energy and operational spending. Energy projects aren’t just cutting costs and keeping up with aging infrastructure, they’re […]

Commentary

How Smart Columbus built the largest EV test drive program in the U.S.

We know that people are more likely to buy an electric vehicle (EV) after a test drive, but dealership experiences aren’t enough. The more experience someone has driving an EV the more favorable they are towards it. A test drive allows drivers to feel the powerful torque, hear the whisper quiet drive and experience the […]

Commentary

How California public agencies can reform pension benefits

In 2011, after the Great Recession left California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) only 61 percent funded, the Little Hoover Commission gave a dire warning: “California’s pension plans are dangerously underfunded, the result of overly generous benefit promises, wishful thinking and an unwillingness to plan prudently. Unless aggressive reforms are implemented now, the problem will […]

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Commentaries

Commentaries are contributed, non-commercial and educational articles that subject matter experts write for American City & County. If you would like to submit an exclusive commentary, click here to view our guidelines.

Highlights

test

The future of carbon emissions and cities lies in green buildings

With an historic investment in public spaces, Philadelphia’s Rebuild program is committed to equity in the process

Commentary

Ransomware attacks: Why it should be illegal to pay the ransom

Commentary

Succession and the aging workforce in government

Commentary

Government as a Service: Maximizing enterprise content management solutions for civic innovation

Commentary

Closing the gap: How a facilities master plan can help your city

Commentary

The convenience of mobile voting makes it a prime target for hackers

Commentary

Public housing authorities nationwide benefit from job order contracting

Commentary

Active shooter preparation: Don’t cross the line of traumatization

Commentary

Fund your resiliency efforts with energy savings

Commentary

How Smart Columbus built the largest EV test drive program in the U.S.

Commentary

How California public agencies can reform pension benefits

WHITE PAPERS

Supercharge your ERP: How ERPs and Purpose-Built Solutions Work Together to Future-Proof Your Digital Strategy

Five Best Practices for Modern Digital Permitting and Licensing

Mechanizing the Mop: How modernized floor cleaning technologies are delivering powerful competitive advantages

Webinars

Digital Property Tax Collection: Tales from the Trenches of Modernization

Mind the Development Gaps: Keep Growth on Track by Aligning Planning, Zoning, Permitting, Licensing, and Enterprise Asset Management

Reporting and Compliance for Grant Funding

Podcast

Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

GALLERIES

Gallery: 10 of America’s most affordable cities

Gallery: Top 10 American cities most friendly to EVs

Gallery: America’s top 10 bicycle-friendly cities

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