Put Cities at the Heart of Americas Infrastructure and Economic Recovery

The authors advocate for a city-led approach to US infrastructure recovery, calling for federal partnerships, the redirection of transportation funding toward public transit and active travel, and the reform of energy markets to remove barriers to renewable energy procurement.

• The authors argue that local governments are the most effective vehicles for economic recovery because they are trusted by nearly three-quarters of Americans, are highly efficient at job creation and innovation, and are directly impacted by the pandemic's disproportionate effects on disadvantaged communities.
• Current federal transportation funding is heavily skewed toward roads and interstates, receiving 80 percent of funds under the FAST Act, while public transit receives 17 percent and walking and biking projects receive 2 percent. The authors claim that every $1 invested in public transportation generates $4 of economic activity and creates 70 percent more jobs than spending on roads.
• Cities are pursuing renewable energy goals independently, such as Cincinnati's construction of the largest municipal solar farm in the US and Denver's sales tax to raise up to $40 million annually for climate and resiliency projects. However, these efforts are hindered by outdated policies and regulations that disadvantage clean energy.
• The document highlights the need for federal and state governments to stop preempting city actions regarding building energy and emissions codes, arguing that cities require the power to mandate changes rather than relying solely on incentives.

APA

RMI (2021). Put Cities at the Heart of Americas Infrastructure and Economic Recovery. https://rmi.org/resources/put-cities-at-the-heart-of-americas-infrastructure-and-economic-recovery/

Chicago

RMI. Put Cities at the Heart of Americas Infrastructure and Economic Recovery. 2021. https://rmi.org/resources/put-cities-at-the-heart-of-americas-infrastructure-and-economic-recovery/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=RMI |title=Put Cities at the Heart of Americas Infrastructure and Economic Recovery |date=26 April 2021 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/put-cities-at-the-heart-of-americas-infrastructure-and-economic-recovery/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{rmi2021put, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Put Cities at the Heart of Americas Infrastructure and Economic Recovery}}, publisher = {RMI}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/put-cities-at-the-heart-of-americas-infrastructure-and-economic-recovery/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }