Mayors Innovation Project

Happy #WomensEqualityDay! This observance, celebrated in the United States on August 26, commemorates the adoption of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920, which prohibits states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex. As we celebrate, we honor the Americans who worked to achieve this feat and recognize the work that was and is still to come - it would not be until August 4, 1965 that women of color would have the right to vote. As we approach the 2024 Presidential Election, we continue to advocate and work towards a more just future where every American can exercise their right to vote. This week, the 19th Amendment turns 104 years old. Its ratification in 1920 hinged on the youngest member of the Tennessee Legislature, 24-year-old Harry T. Burn. After failing to pass the amendment many times previously, on this day the vote to table the suffrage amendment ended in a tie, prompting a roll call vote. Despite Burn’s previous affirmations to table the vote, when called, Burn’s “Aye” broke the tie, resulting in ratification of the Amendment. His decision is largely attributed to a letter written to him by his mother, which he carried that day in his pocket, urging him “Hurrah and vote for suffrage and don’t keep them in doubt.” The Mayors Innovation Project was particularly proud and grateful to be hosted by the City of Knoxville for this summer’s conference, where this piece of history is commemorated by the Burn Memorial in downtown Knoxville. The memorial depicts Rep. Burn and his mother, along with excerpts from Burn’s mothers’ letter. The statue is one of several suffrage memorials in Knoxville and East Tennessee, which played a pivotal role in advancing women's suffrage. Stay tuned! We'll be releasing recaps of our policy sessions on Climate Empowerment, Violence Prevention, Creating an Affordable Housing Ecosystem, and Transformative Placemaking later this week. In the meantime, you can access session resources, including Briefing Books and panelist slides at bit.ly/mip-s24

This summer is one of the hottest on record, and cities across the country are feeling the heat. Cities on the whole are getting hotter, but heat is not felt equally across cities. The effects of extreme heat are exacerbated in neighborhoods where greenery is sparse and buildings, roads, and other forms of infrastructure absorb and re-emit sunlight. These areas are known as “heat islands,” and they are disproportionately located in low income communities and communities of color. Our latest "Good Ideas for Cities" provides strategies for local governments including increasing urban canopy cover in disadvantaged neighborhoods, requiring rest and water breaks for workers, and investing in innovative solutions like cool pavement and splash pads. Check it out on our website: bit.ly/4fVeSLe!

Happy two year anniversary to the Inflation Reduction Act 🎉 ! Today we're celebrating the historic investments in clean energy in cities across the country made possible by the IRA! Our latest guest blog 💡 from our sister project, ProGov21, focuses on measuring and building capacity to take full advantage of historic federal funding! Each municipality has a unique set of goals and constraints, and for even the most industrious city officials, a lack of administrative capacity threatens their ability to access funding opportunities. For this reason, it is crucial small and mid-size cities strengthen their ability to take full advantage of this landmark funding. Check out the full blog on our website: https://bit.ly/4dqiSSq. Additionally, our Winter 2024 Meeting included a panel on Successful Strategies for Securing Federal Funding - find all panel resources, including a recording of the moderated session, on our website: bit.ly/MIP-W24.

With the 2 year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tomorrow, MIP would like to amplify the many opportunities and positive impacts that the IRA has brought to communities across the country. From investments in building decarbonization to EV charging infrastructure, the IRA has unlocked billions in clean energy investments for cities, creating jobs and saving residents money on their energy bills. Recently, Elected Officials to Protect America, including MIP 2023 New Mayors Cohort alum, Mayor Donya Sartor, PhD, held a press conference addressing the importance of the IRA to fight the climate crisis. Check out the full press release on CSPAN: https://bit.ly/4fFt0Z3!

I’m back!!!! 🙋♀️ Last week, I attended Mayors Innovation Project Summer Conference. Indya Kincannon, Mayor of the City of Knoxville was our gracious hostess. 💙 The panels were excellent and covered the following: 𝙐𝙧𝙗𝙖𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙮 & 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 ✅Takeaway:  Consider 💰 investments that not only impact                           quality of life but address historic inequitable                           policies that will improve the financial conditions                          for all; particularly the underserved. 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮-𝘽𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙑𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 ✅Takeaway:  Be sure to 🔨build a team care plan for the staff                         who are dedicated to addressing violence in                         the community.  If the investment is not made                         to 🫶care for the staff, the work of the team and                          their impact in the community will be compromised. 𝘾𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚 ⚡𝙀𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 ✅Takeaway:  Adopting 📣communication strategies that focus                         on human behavior and making🚶♀️ incremental                          change is more effective than engaging people                        with a lengthy list of “To Dos.” We visited the Women’s 🏀Basketball Hall of Fame, an urban 🛝forestry and a farmers market. I served as the MC for our Innovation Showcase which allows mayors to highlight an💡 idea they have implemented in their communities that fellow mayors can take back 🏡home to implement in their communities as well. Great conference, great 👨👩👧👦people and a lot  learned 📕amidst the backdrop of beautiful Tennessee. #MayorsInnovationProject  #WomenMayors  #LifelongLearning

Last week the Mayors Innovation Project was in Knoxville, TN for our 2024 Summer Meeting! We held discussions on violence prevention, transformative placemaking, affordable housing, and climate empowerment; toured Knoxville’s urban wilderness, new multi-use stadium, and public art scene; connected with new and familiar friends; and experienced Jake Barton's latest art exhibit, Win the Future! Our goal is to send each attendee home feeling inspired and with at least one new idea, policy, or connection that they can use to improve their city. We’re grateful to the speakers, sponsors, partners, mayors, city staff, and attendees who helped make this event a success! A special shout out to our Summer Meeting host, Mayor Indya Kincannon and her fabulous team at the City of Knoxville who were instrumental in planning and putting on the meeting. Be sure to stay tuned for more posts from us in the coming weeks recapping each panel and sharing photos and highlights from the meeting! Check out all materials from the meeting, including each panel's briefing book, on our website: https://bit.ly/mip-s24!

Placemaking and housing, violence prevention and climate action…and so much more. Leaving the Mayors Innovation Project meeting feeling inspired about the work of our cities. And thanks to MIP for the opportunity to talk with attendees about #SalemMA’s data-driven approach to achieving Vision Zero! https://lnkd.in/ewYx55Xe

Our Mayor Sean Shultz is participating in the Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety! Providing safe and accessible infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists is a priority for the Mayor and the rest of Borough Council.

Headed to the Mayors Innovation Project conference this week in the City of Knoxville to talk #climate empowerment with Mayors of City of Madison, WI, Knoxville and Trenton. Will be sharing examples from Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) Southeast Sustainability Directors Network. What I love about this agenda is the diversity of topics to innovate on, from transformative placemaking and violence prevention to affordable housing and climate empowerment. Thanks for hosting us, Indya Kincannon! More on the conference here: https://lnkd.in/ernMKzCq

This week the Mayors Innovation Project and our partners Smart Growth America and AARP Livable Communities are thrilled to welcome the 2024 cohort of the Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety (MIPS) to City of Knoxville, TN! This year's cohort includes 10 mayors from across the country, and we’re so excited to finally be meeting in-person! MIPS gives mayors opportunities to learn about and share strategies, tools, and best practices for creating safer streets for all. We're digging into all things pedestrian safety including community engagement, regional coordination and collaboration, relationship building with DOTs, and much more! In addition to hearing from experts, we’ll be getting to tour Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness and the Cumberland Avenue Corridor. Most importantly MIPS mayors took the opportunity to connect with each other, sharing their own experiences advocating for policies and programs to support safe streets in their communities. Check out photos from the tours and the second ever MIPS innovation showcase where each mayor had the opportunity to share a policy, program, or idea that they’ve implemented or are working to implement around pedestrian safety!