State of the Cities 2020
Source: National League of Cities Published: 2020
The state of our cities continues to be strong even in these troubled times. Right now, mayors are battling the twin challenges of a public health crisis precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic fallout that the novel coronavirus has wrought on our nation’s communities. Mayors have been on the frontlines serving as stalwart leaders – together with the essential workers and the fire, police, sanitation, and public health employees – guiding our cities through this storm. This journey is far from over, and our essential cities will recover and rebuild.
Cities were among the first to respond to the virus by instituting stay-at-home orders and doing what was necessary to flatten the curve and minimize the negative impact on community members nationwide. The National League of Cities has been rapidly tracking the shifting local policy environment since March to identify and share the policies cities have implemented to respond to COVID-19, from housing homeless individuals, to ending utility shutoffs, to transforming daily government operations.
Cities like Burlington, Vermont have enforced stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of the virus, worked with community partners to produce high-quality masks for essential workers and created virtual resource and recovery centers to provide food and other support to residents. This and other stories are happening in cities across America. Whether in crisis or in good times, our local leaders are at the forefront, making the hard choices and helping community members thrive.
With an economy that is both deeply troubled, with an unemployment rate higher than 14 percent, and deeply transformed, it is imperative that we come together as a nation. If instead, cities must go it alone and bear the brunt of negative fiscal consequences of the pandemic, America will be in a dire situation. Up to one million public sector workers could experience severe pay cuts, lose their job or be furloughed. Fewer public safety personnel translate to slower emergency response times. Fewer social service and youth program coordinators mean reductions in summer programs and home health visits. These are essential services, particularly for our communities’ most vulnerable residents.
What this year’s State of the Cities analysis reveals is that local leaders have been and will continue to provide residents and businesses with the tools, through targeted investments, not only to strengthen our economy, but also in ways that are more equitable, sustainable and forward-thinking.