High Road Strategy Center

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, Georgia ?? 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.

“My research group, the State Smart Transportation Initiative at the University of Wisconsin, recently compiled some of the best ideas and lessons transportation agencies can adopt into a framework called Innovative DOT. Our framework includes examples and best practices that planners and advocates can look to for inspiration. Here are the highlights. Using these strategies and learning from peers across the country, transportation agencies can still make progress toward their sustainability and equity goals, even with greatly diminished federal support.” By Chris McCahill for Next City High Road Strategy Center Smart Growth America University of Wisconsin-Madison https://lnkd.in/e9vwVzXu

The Innovative DOT is now live!?? This comprehensive framework 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, State Smart Transportation Initiative's Innovative DOT delivers targeted strategies for building more equitable, sustainable, and resilient transportation systems. The guide is organized around four key steps for agency transformation: 1?? Set your agency on a path to resilience? 2?? Build for people, not just cars? 3?? Make the most of your assets? 4?? 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/ #Transportation #StateDOT #Mobility #TheInnovativeDOT #SmartTransportation

Happy Women's History Month! This month we recognize the resilience, contributions, and achievements of women around the world. The Mayors Innovation Project is honored to work with incredible women mayors across the country through our Women Mayors Network. We are grateful for their leadership and all that they do to pave the way for more equitable cities and the next generation of leaders. In celebration of Women's History Month, we are honored to feature two history makers in our network: Mayor Kate Colin, the first woman mayor of San Rafael, CA, and Mayor Donya Sartor, PhD, the first Black woman mayor of City of Jonesboro GA. We asked them what being the first means to them and how they are supporting the rights of women and girls in their communities. Check out their responses here: bit.ly/43papfT

Calling all mayors! Are you ready to make your city’s streets safer, more vibrant, and equitable for all residents? Applications are now open for the third cohort of the Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety. This program offers expert guidance, peer learning opportunities, and practical tools to help you implement real change in your community. Don’t miss your chance to take the lead on pedestrian safety—applications close on February 28, 2025. Visit the Mayors Innovation Project website and apply today! https://bit.ly/MIPS2025 #PedestrianSafety #SaferStreets

Happy Black History Month! At High Road Strategy Center, we celebrate the achievements, resilience, and contributions of Black Americans—past and present. Black History Month is a time to reflect on history, honor those who paved the way, and commit to advancing racial equity. As we celebrate, let’s also take action. This month, we encourage you to: ? Learn about the origins of Black History Month ? Support Black communities and businesses locally ? Advocate for policies that advance racial equity ?? Explore these resources: ?? Learning for Justice – Learn From & Honor Black History: https://lnkd.in/gsGPMkwq ?? ProGov21 Race & Social Equity Roadmap – Policy tools for local governments: https://lnkd.in/g39t24mh ?? High Road Strategy Center Race in the Heartland Report – Systemic racial disparities in the Midwest & solutions: https://lnkd.in/g6kYupA3 Let’s make this month about action, learning, and progress. #BlackHistoryMonth #RacialJustice #HighRoad

? 20 Years of Innovation and Impact! ? A month ago, the Mayors Innovation Project hosted its Winter Meeting in Washington, DC, bringing together mayors and local leaders nationwide to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing cities today. From welcoming immigrants and building inclusive communities to workforce development, flood resilience, and strengthening council-mayor relationships, we explored actionable solutions for creating sustainable, equitable, and democratic communities. Thank you to everyone who joined us to make this milestone event so impactful! ?? Since then, we’ve released features on our Leadership and Policy for Welcoming and Inclusive Communities panel and our Data and Financing for Flood Resilient Infrastructure panel— with more insights still to come! Stay tuned to our website for deeper dives and resources from each session. ?? https://lnkd.in/gvUR5TDk #InnovationInAction #LocalLeadership #MayorsLead

Join MIP and Inclusive Prosperity Capital at 12pm CT Monday, Feb. 10th to learn more about the Municipal Investment Fund, an opportunity from ICLEI and the Coalition for Green Capital! This opportunity aims to support public-private partnerships to accelerate clean energy projects. On our webinar, we’ll cover the basic elements of the application, allowable projects, and potential partners to enhance your application. We’ll also answer your questions and encourage a discussion of promising project types. Register today ?? https://bit.ly/4101G2m!

Another day, another $7.25. In Groundhog Day, Phil wakes up to the same day, over and over again, but for Wisconsin workers earning minimum wage, it's not just a movie—it’s reality. Our state’s minimum wage has been stuck at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour for over 15 years! Can't Survive on $7.25: Higher Minimum Wages for Working Wisconsin, lays out why it’s time to break this cycle and raise the wage. ??: https://lnkd.in/eZedk-_Q #GroundhogDay #RaiseTheWage #LivingWage

We're thrilled to announce that we're now accepting applications for our third cohort of the Mayors Institute on Pedestrian Safety (MIPS)! ?? ??♀? ???? MIPS is a partnership between the Mayors Innovation Project,?AARP Livable Communities, and?Smart Growth America?aimed at supporting mayors dedicated to creating safe, vibrant, and equitable communities for people of all ages, incomes, and abilities. Selected mayors will receive tools and support to make immediate safety improvements on their most dangerous streets and learn from examples of longer-term, systemic changes that address the growing issue of traffic violence. Our application process is designed to be simple and low barrier: we ask three questions with a 1000 word count limit to help us better understand your local challenge, existing efforts, and level of commitment to prioritizing this issue over the next year. The deadline to apply is Friday, February 28th! Learn more and apply today → bit.ly/MIPS2025