High Road Strategy Center

10/16/2025

Check out www.WorkingWI.org for more!

Laura Dresser on wage trends, tariffs, the immigration workforce and unions in Wisconsin.

08/29/2025

08/21/2025

From powerful panels to inspiring showcase, the Mayors Innovation Project's Summer Meeting in Albuquerque was packed with ideas, collaboration, and momentum for cities nationwide. Here’s a look at the impact, by the numbers.

Follow the Mayors Innovation Project for more highlights coming soon!

🔗: https://bit.ly/MIP-S25

08/18/2025

A new study reveals that how people perceive a street—whether it feels inviting, secure, or rundown—can impact the safety of walking and biking. Incorporating these perceptions into safety analysis can offer fresh insights for planners working to reduce crashes and create better public spaces.

Visit SSTI.us/blogs to learn more!

04/23/2025

In just , the Trump administration has ordered mass layoffs, deportations, and cancellations of union contracts—despite campaign promises to fight for the workers who elected him.

Later this month, the Good Jobs Collaborative will host Senator Chris Murphy and other labor leaders as they reflect on his harmful actions and consider how he could instead work to build an economy with for all.

🗓️ April 29
🕦 11:30am, ET
📍 Hybrid (D.C. + livestream)

Join our policy teams for a discussion about whether these actions are benefitting workers—or abusing them.

And for the launch of a rating system called the Good Jobs Compass that will make the distinction clearer.

🚀🧭🚀https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/events/not-working-for-workers-the-first-100-days-of-the-trump-administration/

04/17/2025

🏡April is —a time to reflect on the legacy of the Fair Housing Act and recommit to ensuring equal access to housing for all. As cities continue to confront a deepening housing crisis, innovative, equity-centered policies are more important than ever.

We’re highlighting two key resources:

➡️ProGov21’s Housing Roadmap offers a comprehensive policy framework to address the post-COVID housing crisis. It urges cities to recognize housing as a human right, reduce evictions and foreclosures, expand tenant protections, and end homelessness through permanent supportive housing.
https://tinyurl.com/nh9ww687

➡️Mayors Innovation Project's Good Ideas for Cities outlines how cities across the country are leading local responses. From zoning reform and anti-displacement tools to adaptive reuse and pre-approved housing plans, local governments are taking bold steps to increase housing supply, affordability, and equity.
https://tinyurl.com/3e9h3uxw

As we observe Fair Housing Month, let’s lift up the strategies and policies that move us closer to housing justice for all.

Explore the resources!

While private markets provide adequate luxury housing, local governments must ensure that well-built, affordable housing is available to everyone. High-quality affordable housing is critical to a thriving community—making it a critical focus of local government policymaking. Traditionally, afforda...

04/10/2025

This week is National Public Health Week—a reminder of the critical role local governments play in keeping communities healthy.

Celebrate by exploring ProGov21’s Public Health Roadmap. Local health departments are expected to deliver comprehensive care in a post-pandemic world, but often lack the resources to meet expanding responsibilities and navigate state and federal mandates.

This roadmap highlights how cities are:
⭐ Addressing preemption
⭐ Expanding healthcare access
⭐ Investing in the public health workforce through training, paid leave, and more

Explore the full resource ⤵️
https://progov21.org/PolicyRoadmaps/Public-Health

Local health departments are responsible for delivering comprehensive care in a post-pandemic environment yet often lack the necessary resources to navigate state and federal mandates. The 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) “unwound” the continuous Medicaid enrollment provisions establis...

04/09/2025

Today, we are pleased to announce the third cohort of the Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety (MIPS)! This year, supported by AARP Livable Communities and Smart Growth America, 12 mayors were selected through a national competitive application process to join this year’s cohort.

MIPS is designed to equip local leaders with the tools and best practices to make meaningful safety improvements on dangerous roadways and create long-term, systemic change. Through expert-led workshops, peer exchanges, and one-on-one coaching, MIPS helps mayors champion safer, more livable communities.

This year's cohort includes:
- Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft (City of Alameda - Local Government)
- Mayor Maureen Copelof (The City of Brevard, North Carolina)
- Mayor Cassie Franklin (City of Everett, WA - Govt)
- Mayor David Goins - Alton Mayor (City of Alton, Illinois)
- Mayor Denise D. Grant (City of Lauderhill, FL)
- Tigard Mayor Heidi Lueb (City of Tigard Government, OR)
- Jim Paine, Mayor of Superior (Superior, WI)
- Mayor Andy Schor (City of Lansing, Michigan - Government)
- Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. (City of Little Rock, AR - Government)
- Mayor Sharetta Smith (Lima, OH)
- Mayor Robert Sullivan (City of Brockton, MA)
- Mayor Derek Slaughter (Williamsport, PA)

Over the next six months, these mayors will engage in a blend of virtual and in-person programming, working with national experts and fellow mayors to address the urgent pedestrian safety challenges in their communities. We are so excited to get started!

Learn more about MIPS and previous cohorts at mayorsinnovation.org/mips.

04/08/2025

The High Road Strategy Center’s 2024 Year in Review is now live!

Our report showcases the impact we’ve made this year—helping cities implement safer streets, advancing equitable transportation policies, strengthening worker protections, and supporting women in leadership.

From mayors taking action to improve pedestrian safety to state leaders integrating sustainability into transportation planning, this report highlights how we’re working with local governments and policymakers to create stronger, more just communities.

Read the full report here. ⤵️
https://highroad.wisc.edu/2024-year-in-review/

03/19/2025

The MIP Innovation Showcase is a lightning round session where mayors get three minutes to share a policy, program, or practice that they have implemented or are working to implement.

03/15/2025

Happy Women’s History Month!

This month—and every month—we celebrate the leadership, vision, and impact of women shaping our communities. At the Mayors Innovation Project, we're proud to support and elevate the voices of women mayors across the country.

Today, we’re shining a spotlight on two trailblazers:

🌟 Mayor Donya Sartor, PhD, the first Black woman mayor of City of Jonesboro, GA
🌟 Mayor Kate Colin, the first woman mayor of San Rafael, CA

We asked them what it means to be the first—and how they're working to advance the rights of women and girls in their cities.

Learn more: bit.ly/43papfT

Want more stories like this? Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, insights, and highlights from innovative city leaders across the country.

03/13/2025

The Innovative DOT is now live!

This comprehensive framework by the State Smart Transportation Initiative offers tools and recommendations to help state DOTs navigate today’s most urgent challenges.

Drawing on over a decade of in-depth research, peer learning, and technical assistance, our framework delivers targeted strategies for building more equitable, sustainable, and resilient transportation systems.

The guide is organized around four key steps for agency transformation:
1️⃣ Set your agency on a path to resilience
2️⃣ Build for people, not just cars
3️⃣ Make the most of your assets
4️⃣ Fuel a culture of innovation

Each section aligns with core agency functions—from planning to operations—and offers actionable insights to help state DOTs lead with impact.

🔗 Dive in: ssti.us/innovative-dot/

A framework for state transportation officials