PCiRoads uses custom equipment for Minneapolis stormwater project
Minneapolis features a busy and lively downtown area that’s home to nearly 57,000 residents along with 216,000 employees each week, per mplsdowntown.com. The city has consistently topped more than $1 billion in new construction permits over the past 11 years … More from our cover sponsor →
Portsmouth moves toward becoming a gigabit community
Portsmouth, Va., has undertaken an exciting endeavor to build its very own fiber network spanning 55 miles, a project that began back in July 2018. The city is not alone. The Institute for Self-Reliance has been tracking such fiber network … Continue reading →
City seals: Laurel, Maryland
The city seal of Laurel, Md., has a lot going on. The seal, adopted by the mayor and city council on the city’s centennial in 1970, combines elements of heraldry, royalty, agriculture, industry, community and geography. “An examination of the … Continue reading →
Wanted: New residents Communities court new constituents with financial perks
Although it has been 157 years since President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act into law — and 43 years since it was officially repealed — states across the nation continue to offer financial incentives in hopes of attracting new … Continue reading →
Christmas Santa Claus, Ind.
Regardless of weather or calendar, there is only one season in Santa Claus, Ind. The town of 2,410, located in the southwest corner of the state, would likely not be welcoming more than a million visitors a year today had … Continue reading →
Dealing and healing from rising gun violence
As of October 25, the total number of gun violence deaths in the U.S. this year alone is a staggering 31,885 with 342 from mass shootings. These numbers would be unbelievable if we weren’t seeing it play out nearly daily … Continue reading →
Cities continue to cope with gun violence
After the Virginia Tech shooting occurred in 2007, I vividly recall assessing each of my college classrooms with new eyes, highlighting points of escape, nooks for hiding and objects that could be hurled in a worst-case scenario. It’s a habit … Continue reading →
Outsourcing municipal street sweeping
Outsourcing any public works function can be an economical solution for a municipal government. Utilizing a third-party contractor such as Sweeping Corporation of America for street sweeping and jet-vac service can provide a range of cost saving options for a … Continue reading →
Hampstead, N.C., residents grapple with incorporation
To incorporate or not to incorporate — that is the question. The answer? Not so simple. Hampstead, N.C. has been trying for years to incorporate, according to Suzann Rhodes, FAICP, who has been closely involved with the so-far-unsuccessful endeavor and … Continue reading →
High friction surface treatments cut accident rates
One of the most important tasks for any state department of transportation is to save lives. That’s why road construction and repair is so vital to pretty much every municipality. Yet vehicle-related fatalities are still a major cause of … Continue reading →
Salt Lake City embarks on wireless communications journey
Society’s fast-paced ways have transformed internet access from a luxury into a necessity and important quality of life issue. Equally relevant, technological developments have proven so beneficial in society that more and more advancements continue to arise at record speed … Continue reading →
Bloomington, Ill.’s, successful, frugal merger
When Bloomington, Ill., Public Works Director Jim Karch watches his pennies for a whole year, he saves on average $250,000. But it’s not really his money; it belongs to Bloomington because Karch, PE, MPA, oversaw a successful merger of the … Continue reading →
Combatting air pollution
The most prevalent commodity shared by human beings is the air we breathe. Unfortunately, especially in municipalities to varying degrees, that air is not always clean. The stakes are dire. According to www.healthaffairs.org, air pollution contributed to 6.1 million deaths … Continue reading →
City seals: Chandler, Ariz.
The city seal of Chandler, Ariz., adopted Feb. 8, 1994, is simple enough, but it symbolizes three major components of the city’s heritage: the San Tan Mountains, an irrigated agricultural field and a silhouette of an industrial plant. Overarching the … Continue reading →
Cities have an app for that
As technology improves, it’s up to municipalities to provide more and more modern conveniences. This often means adding information and functionality to a city’s website. But how people access the internet has dramatically changed over the years and will continue … Continue reading →
‘Grand’ new attractions: Grand Junction makes improvements to its downtown district
As the most populous municipality in western Colorado, the city of Grand Junction, located in Mesa County, is working hard to make improvements to its downtown district that will encourage new businesses to flourish, encourage visitors to stay a while … Continue reading →
Winterthur Museum Winterthur, Del.
In 1951 Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969) opened his boyhood home to the public. Today Winterthur, pronounced “winter-tour,” stands as the premier museum campus of American decorative arts and naturalistic specimen plantings. Winterthur is situated about a mile and a … Continue reading →
Montgomery cements its position as a smart city in national Smart Cities Challenge
The city of Montgomery, Ala., has recently been recognized for its technological advances in becoming a smart city. It began with a collaboration and consultation between technology advocate and entrepreneur Boyd Stephens and Mayor Todd Strange. Their goal was to … Continue reading →
Privacy concerns as technology advances
As technology continues to evolve, privacy has become a constant juggling act. This fine line is particularly seen in today’s debate on facial recognition. Some cities are embracing it — often seeing considerable value in the realm of public safety … Continue reading →
