Youth and Community Services

Overview

Youth and Community Services

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence

SmartRiverside Transforms Community and Fosters Innovation

SmartRiverside has helped transform the city by promoting high-tech businesses, encouraging collaboration and creating a forum for communication between students and high-tech organizations.

Article Features

City Officials Speak to Budget Cuts
Budget cuts have resulted in reduced services for many communities. What services has your city been able to preserve that you are most proud of?

Local elected officials weigh in on current challenges and priorities.

Article President’s Message Bill Bogaard

Supporting Health in Our Communities

By supporting wellness efforts, cities can offer an environment where residents and employees are encouraged to be more physically active, eat nutritious food and enjoy the advantages of good health.

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence

Lancaster’s Holistic Approach to Healthy Neighborhoods

The Neighborhood Impact Program uses neighborhood revitalization and partnerships to address health, safety and social issues.

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence

Fontana Revitalizes Downtown With a Focus on Seniors

The city provided its senior population with high-quality, affordable housing close to the services they need.

Article Features Helene Leckman Leichter

Make Volunteer Programs a Financial Asset, Not a Liability

As cities implement deeper budget cuts, volunteers are performing more physically and intellectually demanding functions.

Article President’s Message Mike Kasperzak

Reflecting on Our Progress and Moving Forward

The League has met the challenges of the past year, and much work remains to be done.

Article News from the Institute for the Local Government

New Resources: The Latest in Best Practices and More

Local officials looking for tools to help them serve their communities now have access to a variety of new resources.

Article City Forum Charlotte Dickson

HEAL Cities Campaign Supports Healthy Communities

Obesity and related diseases threaten the health of cities’ most vulnerable populations, particularly children and youth. As part of an effort to address obesity, California cities are participating in the Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Cities Campaign and adopting land-use, economic development and employee wellness policies that support health.

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence

La Mesa Gives Seniors a Lift

The Rides4Neighbors program provides a variety of flexible transportation options for eligible senior residents.

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence

Hayward Uses Murals to Fight Blight

Hayward’s Mural Art Program offers an outstanding example of a local effort that has helped reduce crime, build public-private partnerships, enhance community pride and save taxpayers’ money.

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence

Project Safety Net Works to Save Lives in Palo Alto

Article News from the Institute for the Local Government

Intergovernmental Collaboration Through Joint Use of Facilities

Local agencies throughout California are employing joint-use agreements as a tool to stretch taxpayer resources as far as possible in service to shared constituents.

Article President’s Message Mike Kasperzak

Maintaining Our Momentum

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence

Whittier Trail Offers a Safer Way to School and a Recreational Resource

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence

South San Francisco’s Centennial Way Links Neighborhoods and Transit

Article Features Yvonne Hunter

Convenient Resources to Help Families Find Affordable Health Insurance for Their Children

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence

Cupertino Builds Community One Block at a Time

Article City Forum Lisa G. Rosenblum

Sunnyvale’s Investment Increases Efficiency and Improves Library Services

It’s ironic but true: During tough economic times as library budgets are being cut, public library use increases. Sunnyvale used technology to overcome this challenge.

Article Sustainable Cities Terry Amsler

Involving Youth in Local Planning

Terry Amsler is program director of the Institute for Local Government’s Public Engagement and Collaborative Governance program and can be reached at tamsler@ca-ilg.org. Greg Keidan, program coordinator of the Public Engagement and Collaborative Governance program, also contributed to this article.

More and more frequently, young people are being asked — and are asking — to play a larger role in discussions and decisions about local land use and other plans in their community. A growing number of California cities are involving youth in planning processes as local officials discover the capacity of young people to participate and the value of their insights.