Many middle-age suburbs – where the majority of houses were built between 1945-1970 – are in trouble; Professor William Lucy, co-author of “Tomorrow’s Cities, Tomorrow’s Suburbs” discusses the plight of middle-age suburbs – as well as strategies for recovery.
Citizen Participation & Research – State Organizations
Premium Service Lets Users Search and Compare Municipal Ordinances Across State
Expanded search capabilities offered by Municipal Code Corporation allow for simultaneous searching through all (or some) codes and ordinances in a given state. This service makes it convenient to find the norm and/or compare one municipality’s zoning laws, for example, with another’s – a tool that can come in handy when developing or revising local ordinances.
Brookings Study Examines Representative Governance Issues of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Do metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) fairly represent the populations they serve? A study released this month by the Brookings Institution examines whether the interests of the general population are represented by MPOs, whose members are usually appointed rather than elected, in 50 large metro areas across the country.
California Votes Against Change; Schwarzenegger Accepts Defeat
Voters in California went to the polls on November 8, 2005 to cast their decision on eight statewide ballot measures.
U.S. Census Bureau
The U.S. Census Bureau has a wealth of information about the demographics of the United States at U.S. Census Factfinder. Visitors to the U.S. Census website can find data about hundreds of demographic factors and trends, such as population density, marital status,...
Millenium Park
Millenium Park, Chicago’s ambitious new park off the lakefront and Michigan Avenue has opened to rave reviews and has become a top destination for tourists and residents alike.
Denver, Colorado
Clean, crisp - yet still sophisticated - front page includes city news, succinct menu, and efficient search engine. There is a lot of info here, and it’s easy to find. Denver’s site offers more searchable databases than any other we’ve seen - from...
How the Muni Bond Experts Use the Internet
We recently polled members of the MuniNet Guide & Review Editorial Advisory Board - a group comprised of professionals who work in local government and municipal research - to see how they use the Internet to get the information they need to do their jobs....
Muni Web Sites Can Help Promote Positive Social Change
From promoting art awareness to preventing drunk driving, the Ad Council has been creating public service advertisements designed to elicit positive social change since 1942. The Ad Council recently introduced five new public service campaigns (see Sidebar for...
Foundation Advocates Privacy Policies on Municipal Web Sites
The majority of municipal web sites in Illinois lack clear privacy policy statements, according to a recent report by the Gryphon Foundation, a non-profit public interest group supported by a state grant. The report is based on findings from a survey that examined web...