Making the Most of Local Resources and Powers

Otis S. Johnson, Mayor of Savannah, Georgia, focused our attention on practical tools and techniques that are within the purview of local government. Mayor Johnson was a guest speaker at the New Orleans Housing Institute, sponsored by the Urban Institute and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. He addressed what local policymakers accomplish using powers like land use and building regulation, infrastructure investments, tax increment financing, and special-purpose fees and set-asides.