Newsletters

At its core, The New Localism is a book about the rise of networks and networked governance as vehicles for problem solving. As we state in the Introduction:

The current suite of supersized economic, social and environmental challenges and the abdication of responsibilities by the federal government and many states demand new models of local governance. The most effective local governance occurs in places that not only deploy the formal and informal powers of government but create and steward new multi-sector networks to advance inclusive, sustainable and innovative growth. The logic is incontrovertible: if cities are networks of institutions and leaders, then institutions and leaders should co-govern cities. (emphasis added)

Over the past two months, we have visited 12 U.S. cities and counties as part of our New Localism book tour and met with public, private and civic leaders from dozens more.

In city after city, our discussions have quickly turned from a general synopsis of the themes and recommendations of the book to a specific discussion of a little-known tax incentive contained in the recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 that focuses on attracting private investment to distressed communities. Given the emphasis in our book on the importance of organizing civic and private capital, this was not unexpected.