City leaders know tackling the toughest social challenges often requires the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to join forces. But how do you make it work in practice?
Our new Action Insights offers practical guidance for every step of the collaboration journey, distilled from four peer-reviewed studies in Public Performance & Management Review, @PMReview_, @JABS_Journal, and Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory.
Learn how to:
✅ Design partnerships deliberately
✅ Choose actionable entry points
✅ Respond to setbacks with mutual learning
✅ Build long-term collaborative capacity
Download and share the PDF for free: https://t.co/thl3fCIITo.
@federalreserve Chairman Jay Powell bristled at the use of the word “stagflation”due to the difference between now and the extreme pain of the 1970s. That does not mean a mild bout of stagflation is not possible or even probable due to the war and its ripple effects, which will take many months to unwind and bring oil supplies back in balance on a global scale.
What is stagflation - a toxic mix of rising inflation, escalating unemployment and stagnate or a contraction in growth. History doesn’t have to repeat but can rhyme.
The pain that means for households today is different but not necessary less than that endured in the 1970s. The psychological blow is coming against backdrop of decades and lagging wage gains, which collided with the post pandemic inflation. The labor market has shown some signs of life, but that reflects pre-war conditions.
We entered the year with a tailwind of a catch-up to the six-week gov’t shutdown, fiscal stimulus & a sense of where tariffs will ultimately land, easing uncertainty.
That has hit headwinds of the war, which is more than an oil shock - it is roiling supply chains the world over. It will take weeks to months to get disrupted energy infrastructure up and fully running. Years for repairs to damaged infrastructure.
In the interim, we will see scarcities, notably across the developing world worsen, which adds legs to the shock.
The blow of added inflation, which has some legs and squeezes profit margins, while pushing prices up is hard. The bump in employment, tax refunds via tax cuts last year act as a buffer but dissipate more rapidly than the residual effects of the war. That adds insult to injury to the economic anxiety, which was high prior to the war.
So, no, this isn’t the 1970s, but it feels really bad relative to what most consumers have known.
How can local leaders help more residents build stable, thriving lives?
Join Urban on 4/24 @ 1 p.m. ET for a virtual event on resources from the Upward Mobility Initiative—designed to help #communities advance #economic mobility. https://t.co/7gWYBHkbXE #LiveatUrban
New (Feb '26) working paper out by Dionissi Aliprantis & Jeffrey Lin @philadelphiafed on urban segregation: "Strong Spatial Spillovers Determine Neighborhood Shape and Neighborhood Change" https://t.co/qCWzJOJcNi
We're launching something new.
Introducing free, self-paced online learning modules for current and future city leaders everywhere. Today we’re bringing the @Harvard classroom to you.
The first module, Using Data and Evidence as a City Leader, is designed to help you use data more confidently—and more impactfully—in your work.
🔗Register for the free module here: https://t.co/oIGFCYm1YT. More modules coming soon.
Authors: Teddy Svoronos, Amelia Knudson, Laura Metzger, Charlotte Tuminelli, Jorrit de Jong, Quinton Mayne, Gaylen W. Moore, Elizabeth Patton
So appreciate the continued leadership of County Exec @chrisronayne and his support of me & my colleagues as we navigate present & future of public transit @GCRTA. Thanks for asking hard questions, lifting up what works, and bringing people together. Onward!
How is the relationship between #nonprofits and #government evolving? Join the Urban Institute on 3/24 @ 1 p.m. ET for a hybrid discussion with Urban’s Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy.
Reserve your spot. https://t.co/0XBBZQos4D
#LiveatUrban
Thank you to transit workers in the US, especially my friends at @GCRTA in #Cleveland for keeping us on track, on time, and moving forward. You are part of 50 year history, and moving us into next 50 with foresight & care 🎉 🚉 🚍 #transitemployeeappreciationday
Today is National #TransitEmployeeAppreciationDay! In the U.S., more than 437,000 people are directly employed in the public transit industry, working each day to keep Americans moving to jobs, classrooms, medical appointments, shopping, entertainment, & to see friends & family🧵
🚍 Transit Equity Day 2026 🚍
On February 4, we honor Rosa Parks’ legacy and the role of transit in advancing equity & opportunity for all. Join us in celebrating the power of public transit to connect & uplift communities!
January 14 is the last day for public sector and nonprofit organizations to apply to be a host organization for our Public Service Fellowship and Summer Internship programs!
See if your organization is eligible to be a host site here: https://t.co/P31ym4fGYO
A bill proposed by @JonHusted re: #benefitscliffs seems promising: it helps lower income workers "say yes" to jobs or raises w/o fear of suddenly losing access to public benefits they may still need, by proposing state pilots that pool money from different programs. (1/2)
Benefit cliffs trap workers, stalling careers and gutting manufacturing. Manufacturers see employees turn down extra hours or permanent positions to avoid losing critical benefits. With the Upward Mobility Act, workers can finally earn more without losing the support they need.
https://t.co/hVhFt3m732
With new #OpportunityZone designations arriving in 2026, state and territory governors and the DC mayor could target private investment to #communities with a demonstrated need. Explore by state using Urban’s new tool based on #data from Ohio. https://t.co/PIbRvaCsCr
Of potential interest to UEA members: @LSEGeography's 2nd Workshop for Early Career Women in Economic Geography and Spatial Economics
Call for papers: https://t.co/YjyVNZE0j0
Submission deadline: 15 January 2026