CASE STUDIES
EXPLORE THE WORK THAT IS MOVING US TOWARD THIS SHARED VISION
the work to move our country forward is already happening
The Dare to Reimagine agenda showcases 50 policy wins and organizing efforts across 22 states and DC that are moving us towards a more just and equitable future.
You can explore by pillar, issue area, geography, or by searching for what you’re interested in here:
The Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler Community Safety and Violence Prevention Act
Brooklyn Center, MN. After working closely with local community members, the city passed sweeping transformative public safety legislation, in honor of Daunte Wright and Kobe Dimock-Heisler, who were both killed by Brooklyn Center Police officers.
The Road to Racial Justice in Education Continues with 1619 Pilot
Balsz School District, AZ. The school district launched a revised curriculum pilot that incorporates materials from the 1619 Project, an effort to teach the history of slavery in America and how it has shaped our political, social, and economic institutions.
Embedding Equity Into the Student Experience
Culver City, CA. The school district developed a strategic plan grounded in equity and is working to implement mandatory ethnic studies as a graduation requirement.
St. John’s Community-City Development
Austin, TX. A multi-year city effort to revitalize a historically Black neighborhood by centering resident priorities.
Building a Local Economy through Urban Agriculture
Chicago, IL. The North Side community, as a result of a 2011 zoning change, is expanding urban agriculture and farming to develop a healthy local economy, particularly for Black and Brown communities
Youth Voting in Local Elections
Takoma Park, MD. The city expanded the local franchise to young people ages 16 and 17, in an effort to support life-long voting habits, civic engagement, and accountability to youth voices in local issues.
Creating a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase
Berkeley, CA. The city developed a tenant opportunity to purchase (TOPA) ordinance in the hopes that it will help fight displacement, increase tenant stability, and build permanent affordability.
Participatory Budgeting
New York, NY. The city runs a participatory budgeting process city wide for 33 of the city’s 50 districts, ensuring that resident preferences inform more than $50 million in capital expenditures annually.
Resident Bill of Rights
Detroit, MI. This charter revision seeks to center equity, survival, and quality of life, including water access, safety, recreation, and affordable housing.
Community-Driven Participatory Zoning
Chicago, IL. The city’s 35th ward utilized a participatory process to secure a zoning change to build a new development with 100 percent affordable housing.
Alternative Street Response
Portland, OR. The city established an alternative response unit for 911 calls related to homelessness and mental health to ensure residents receive support and services and reduce contact with police officers.
Banning Dollar Stores & Establishing a Healthy Neighborhood Overlay District
Oklahoma City, OK. The city passed a zoning overlay to ban small-box discount stores in underserved neighborhoods, effectively banning dollar stores in food deserts to help create healthier neighborhoods with access to fresh groceries.
Implementing Zero-Fare Transit
Spokane, WA. The city expanded eligibility for zero fare to increase transit access and use for low-income residents and those with disabilities.
Breaking Down Institutional Barriers to Voting
Harris County, TX. The county recently restructured voting infrastructure, centralizing all activities under one office, in order to better serve voters during registration and as they cast their ballots.
Addressing Racism as a Public Health Crisis
Milwaukee County, WI. The county declared racism a public health crisis and passed a series of measures to address inequities across all facets of government, from budgeting and staff training to addressing internal policies and procedures to center racial equity in decision-making.
Planning for Housing Affordability and Neighborhood Diversity
Durham, NC. An effort to fund affordable housing across the city to support mixed-income neighborhoods and prevent ongoing displacement from the downtown corridor.
100% Renewable Energy
Culver City, CA. The city joined a regional collective and met its 100 percent clean energy commitment in 2018.
Community Defined Public Safety
Brookline, MA. This community-driven process aims to reconceptualize public safety, centering the experiences of those most impacted by police and state violence.
Cite and Release to Cite and Divert
San Marcos, TX. The city passed an ordinance requiring that police officers serve low-level offenses with a citation instead of arrest and jail time. Some offenses will even qualify for some type of diversion instead of a citation. This would allow a person to fulfill some sort of program (such as community service), and once fulfilled their record remains clean.
Youth Power Agenda
Milwaukee, WI. Youth organizers won a campaign to ensure the school board would divest resources in school resource officers and redirect those funds towards important programs and investments to address inequities and ensure youth can thrive.