US Mayors Cite Housing Costs as Most Pressing Economic Concern in New Survey by BU Researchers
Four out of five US mayors identified increasing housing costs as a top economic challenge facing their cities—far ahead of other concerns including rising living costs, poverty, and wage stagnation—though they see themselves with a limited toolset to change local housing markets. Regarding public safety, three of four mayors agree that civilians should be banned from acquiring assault rifles under any circumstances—a view that includes support from 40 percent of Republican city leaders. And mayors report feeling more accountable to their constituents on a range of public safety and health issues, from gun violence to mental health concerns, than they did when researchers posed the same questions four years ago.
US Mayors Take on Climate Change
The 2022 Menino Survey of Mayors examined how 118 mayors across the United States think about climate action. Mayors were asked about their opinions on climate change and the changes they are willing to make using regulatory powers or other local actions. Nearly all mayors surveyed worried about local impacts of climate change, including drought, extreme heat, flooding, and air pollution. Most mayors (73%) agreed that cities should use their resources and funds to address climate change locally, with mayors expressing greater interest in investing in new green technology than imposing restrictions on their citizens. The most popular motivation for local climate action was “desire to do our part” (79% chose it as their top two), followed by concern about the impacts on their city (38%) and long-term money-saving potential (29%).
In national survey, mayors say real climate change progress may fall on their residents
Mayors on both sides of the political aisle have a range of worries on climate change, and found common ground regarding potential solutions in a recent poll by the Boston University Initiative on Cities. While the majority of top city leaders want investment in environmentally friendly municipal vehicles, they also believe that if meaningful climate change progress is to happen, the onus is on “residents to make real sacrifices.”
Few Mayors Connect the Dots Between Zoning and Homelessness
Last January the Boston University Initiative on Cities, drawing on data from the 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors, reported that only 1 in 5 mayors felt they had more than “moderate” control over homelessness in their cities. Six in 10 pointed to limited funding as the biggest barrier, and close to 7 in 10 had the view that zoning was a barrier of little or no consequence, despite the impact of zoning codes on housing development.
Survey: Mayors Concerned About Direct Impacts of Climate Change
A new report from the Boston University Initiative on Cities indicates that most U.S. mayors are concerned about the impacts of climate change on their communities. As Michael Brady writes in Smart Cities Dive, 97 percent of mayors surveyed said climate change was a concern, while over half worry about drought, extreme heat, flooding, and air pollution. Notably, “There was no partisan gap among mayors.”
US Mayors Address the Climate Crisis in New Report from BU’s Initiative on Cities
Nearly all US mayors are worried about the impacts of climate change on their cities, with the effects of drought, extreme heat, flooding, and air pollution topping their list of concerns. And more than half of them believe that “real progress on climate issues” will mean their residents will have to make “real sacrifices” in their lifestyles. Additionally, while mayors are enthusiastic about investing in new green technologies like electric vehicles and the infrastructure to support them, they are less likely to support restrictions on the use of fossil fuels in new private construction.
Mayors want to fight climate change, but fear losing their jobs
Many mayors want to take forceful steps to combat climate change — like banning gas stoves or leaf blowers — but fear such moves would be political poison, a new poll shows. They do favor less controversial steps, like replacing gas-guzzling city vehicles with electric alternatives and supporting solar power, according to the first findings from the 2022 Menino Survey of Mayors, a nationally representative survey of U.S. mayors.
Report: Regardless of party, mayors are united in concern about climate change — and what’s causing it
While opinions about climate change might split along party lines among the general public, mayors are universally clear about what’s driving it and are unanimous in their concern about its detrimental impact on American cities. In a new report published Wednesday by the Boston University Initiative on Cities, nearly all mayors surveyed in the 2022 Menino Survey of Mayors are worried about climate impacts on their cities—only 3% said they’re not concerned.
America’s Mayors See Regulatory Powers As Their Top Climate Action Tools, but Are Reluctant To Limit Resident Choices, According to Survey of U.S. Mayors
The Inflation Reduction Act marks a landmark investment in climate, featuring hundreds of billions of dollars in commitments toward transforming American energy use and emissions reductions. Local leaders are key allies in putting these dollars to work, as frontline communities are centered in its implementation. America’s mayors feel a sense of urgency to act, as their communities face real and immediate climate impacts, including drought, extreme heat, flooding, and air pollution. Just 3% of mayors say they are not concerned about any local effects of climate change.
Report: 2022 Menino Survey of Mayors: Mayors and the Climate Crisis
The Inflation Reduction Act features hundreds of billions of dollars in commitments to reshaping American energy use and reducing emissions. These commitments include tax credits and rebates for solar panels, electric vehicles, and heat pumps. These federal investments represent new opportunities for local governments and local elected officials who have already been addressing climate change or who wish to do so. The latest Menino Survey unpacks mayors’ current views on local climate action, their sense of the tools they have at their disposal, and their enthusiasm for using them.