How cities can respond to and heal from mass shootings
About twice a week, the unthinkable happens in the United States. A gunman enters a school, church, or community space and opens fire. This is true even in California, which has some of the nation’s most effective gun laws and a (relatively) low rate of gun violence: Californians experienced a mass shooting every six days in 2023. Chances are, at least one person reading this article will have to respond to the unthinkable. How you prepare and react will play a key role in helping your community heal. And although each shooting…
Hate campaigns are creating a ‘real legitimacy crisis’ says former Berkeley Council Member Rigel Robinson
At 27 years old, Rigel Robinson’s political future was bright. He was elected to the Berkeley city council five years prior at 22, making him the city’s youngest-ever council member. He and another new elected, Rashi Kesarwani, were also the first Asian American council members in nearly 40 years. Robinson captured national media attention not just for his barrier-breaking election but his outspoken support for a controversial housing project.
Transformative and desperately needed: The American Rescue Plan Act one year later
In March 2021, cities across the nation breathed a sigh of relief as an economic package that included $65 billion for municipalities finally made its way through Congress and was signed into law. The American Rescue Plan Act provided badly needed direct and flexible funds to cash-strapped cities on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020.
Traffic fatalities across the US rose in 2020 but not in Fremont. What did the city do differently?
In 2015, Fremont’s city council committed to a bold goal: Reduce traffic-related fatalities to zero. Even though the city was already a national leader in traffic safety, this new mindset forced officials to rethink their approach to traffic safety. Known as Vision Zero, Fremont’s traffic safety plan focuses on integrating human error into transportation systems, instead of reducing it.
Fresno gets the spotlight in a national infrastructure event
After years of stalled negotiations, a historic, bipartisan infrastructure agreement advanced out of the U.S. Senate. Last Thursday, five government leaders from across the country joined President Joe Biden for a conversation about the potential impact of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment…
“We look way too similar to Derek Chauvin”: Building public trust in an era of distrust
In Police Chief Chris Catren’s opinion, there’s nothing novel about improving public trust. “Everyone wants to make building trust like it’s a difficult, secretive process, but it’s not….It’s just a matter of doing the basic things routinely.”