Big economic, technological and social mega-forces threaten the viability of local governments across the nation.  The question “What’s the future of local government?” is not just a topic of academic interest but a critical business issue for public agencies.  If a local government can create a vision or “story” about its future, it can help shape that future.  Without a vision, a public agency will be reactive and forced to change, one crisis after another.

Sponsored by the Alliance for Innovation, this white paper suggests an emerging model for local government, discusses the experience of the City of San Jose, CA, in re-imagining its future, and provides some big questions that will hopefully provoke further conversation about the future of local government.