Knowledge Center

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy seeks to improve quality of life through the effective use, taxation, and stewardship of land. A nonprofit, private operating foundation whose origins date to 1946, the Lincoln Institute researches and recommends creative approaches to land as a solution to economic, social, and environmental challenges.

Created by AARP Livable Communities and the Congress for the New Urbanism, "Enabling Better Places: A Handbook for Improved Neighborhoods" provides options for communities to consider as they identify and select small-scale, incremental policy changes that can be made without overhauling entire zoning codes and land use policies.

As cities move beyond the rapid post-pandemic rebound, the National League of Cities’ 2025 City Fiscal Conditions report shows that municipal governments are entering a new phase; one shaped by tighter budgets, slower growth, and increasing uncertainty.

This document explains the rules Georgia cities must follow to raise pay for elected officials. Cities have the power to set pay, but raises for elected leaders must follow strict legal steps to prevent self-benefit and ensure the process is open to the public.

Public finance leaders are feeling the strain of a workforce challenge that is no longer on the horizon—it’s here. Critical roles, from accounting and IT to data analysis and project management, are sitting vacant for months.