Common Issues Facing Cities—Aggregated from 100 'State of the City' Speeches

Around the country, issues related to the field of planning dominate the public discussion of the "state of the city."

1 minute read

August 6, 2015, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Brooks Rainwater writes a post for Fast Co.Exist sharing the results of "State of the Cities" report by the National League of Cities.

The report provides "a comprehensive analysis of city trends based on annual State of the City addresses from mayors across the country. Our State of the Cities 2015 analysis is derived from 100 cities and represents a diverse cross section of population sizes and geographic regions," according to the website for the report.

Rainwater's post digs into the semantics of the aggregated state of the city addresses, finding that planning issues are at the forefront of the rhetoric from political leadership around the country. Among the top ten most-discussed issues from these 100 addresses:

9) Demographics (mentioned in 11 percent of speeches)
8) Environment/Energy (mentioned in 16 percent of speeches)
7) Data/Technology (mentioned in 21 percent of speeches)
6) Housing (mentioned in 28 percent of speeches)
2) Infrastructure (mentioned in 57 percent of speeches)
1) Economic Development (mentioned in 75 percent of speeches)

Wednesday, August 5, 2015 in Fast Co.Exist

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

September 16, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

The Hoover Dam blocking the Colorado River. The river's water level is noticeably low. The cliffs surrounding the blue water are brown and jagged.

US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico

A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.

September 11, 2026 - The Arizona Republic

A map showing Brightline West's intended route from  Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga, California.

Brightline West’s future may rely on $6 billion federal loan

The company has until Nov. 2 to make a $400 million equity investment into its proposed high-speed rail line.

5 seconds ago - Smart Cities Dive

A Metro bus drives down a street on a rainy day. Parallel to the bus is a line of parked cars, then, a line of umbrellas.

LA Metro’s ultimatum: no extra buses for LA28 if federal funding isn’t imminently secured

If Metro does not provide additional buses, LA28 organizers will have to find a new way to manage Olympic traffic. LA28’s budget does not include a line item for transit.

1 hour ago - LAist

Geese flock to a frozen pond in Aurora, Colorado. There are houses in the background.

Colorado’s Largest Data Center Could Rise Next to Homes — Without a Public Hearing

The proposed campus would consume 11 times the power of Denver International Airport; as it has across the country, opposition mounts.

2 hours ago - Capital & Main

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.