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April 3, 2024 — The Urban Institute announced today that 26 localities across the United States have joined its Mobility Action Learning Network to receive coaching and tools for community stakeholders to develop and advance policies and programs that increase upward mobility and racial equity.

Part of the organization’s Upward Mobility Initiative, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Urban Institute experts will provide members with training and technical assistance through 2024 as they work to incorporate strategies and solutions that promote mobility and equity in their communities. This will include trainings on the Upward Mobility Framework, related data and planning tools, one-on-one advisory support calls, and peer learning opportunities with communities working toward similar goals.

Network members represent 26 localities across the country, with populations ranging from 58,000 to 1.4 million people. Each locality is participating as a “mobility action team,” made up of government agencies and nongovernment organizations to effectively advance community-wide efforts and cross-sector collaborations. The localities are split into four “learn and share” tracks that build on each locality’s existing strengths, programs, and learning goals. The tracks are: “Using Data for Decisionmaking,” “Building Coalitions for Systems Change,” “Empowering Community Partners,” and “Measuring Impact.”

“We are looking forward to collaborating with these localities as they work to create the conditions that lift residents out of poverty and on to a pathway that advances their economic success, power and autonomy, and sense of being valued in their community,” said Kimberly Burrowes, a senior training and technical assistance manager at Urban, who will be working directly with the communities.

The 26 localities are as follows:

• Alexandria, VA
• Charlotte, NC
• Dallas, TX
• Dayton, OH
• Denver, CO
• Dubuque, IA
• Fairfax County, VA
• Forsyth County, NC
• Green Bay, WI
• Hammond, IN
• Kansas City, MO
• Memphis, TN
• New Haven, CT
• New Orleans, LA
• Palm Beach County, FL
• Pima County, AZ
• Providence, RI
• Ramsey County, MN
• Richmond, VA
• Rochester, NY
• San Jose, CA
• San Mateo County, CA
• Santa Barbara County, CA
• Tacoma, WA
• Tulsa, OK
• Washington County, PA

“We hope that these partnerships will help local leaders build on the existing work they are doing to ensure that every person in these 26 communities has the chance to achieve their highest potential,” said Burrowes.

To join the network, the communities were required to demonstrate several key competencies including readiness to participate in advancing upward mobility and racial equity; ability to identify systemic mobility challenges and multipolicy agendas; capacity to sustain actions after the technical assistance period; and strong, established partnerships between local government and nongovernment actors. The Mobility Action Learning Network members will be tasked with acting as ambassadors within their communities and sharing lessons learned to advance work beyond this opportunity.

For more information about Urban’s approach and the evidence behind this initiative, see the Upward Mobility Framework and Planning Guide for Local Action.

About the Urban Institute

The Urban Institute is a nonprofit research organization that provides data and evidence to help advance upward mobility and equity. We are a trusted source for changemakers who seek to strengthen decisionmaking, create inclusive economic growth, and improve the well-being of families and communities. For more than 50 years, Urban has delivered facts that inspire solutions—and this remains our charge today.