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This article presents information about the 10 U.S. cities that won 2009 All-America City Awards. The cities were chosen at the annual meeting held in Tampa, Florida in June 2009. Although the full impact of the economic crisis had not yet been felt, the participating cities had already begun to pool resources and coordinate with other groups and agencies. Decisions for the winning cities were based on how the cities faced challenges of revitalization, public health improvement, job creation, and engagement of young people.

The article discusses the organization of communities for citizen participation and the neighborhood system as the foundation for civic engagement in the United States. The books "Better Together" by Robert Putnam and Lewis Feldstein, "The Next Form of Democracy" by Matt Leighninger, and "The Rebirth of Urban Democracy" by Jeffrey M. Berry, Kent E. Portney, and Ken Thomson are mentioned. A brief history is presented concerning local government and efforts to promote community empowerment and political participation.

The article provides information on the winners of the 2008 All-American City (ACC) Award. It cites that ACC acknowledges communities which have outstanding civic accomplishment and has the ability to address economic challenges in the U.S. It profiles the political and economic conditions of the top ten winners including Goodyear Arizona; Cerritos, California and Aurora, Colorado. It also provides an overview of the different civic programs of the winners that addressed a range of issues including education and redevelopment.

The article presents an exploration into the community capitalism movement of Kalamazoo, Michigan in the early 21st century and its efforts to promote intellectual and business development in its area. Details are given outlining the business conditions which led to large-scale reductions in the markets of the city in previous decades and profiling several government initiatives which stimulated its entrepreneurial sector. Programs mentioned include college scholarships with Michigan state campuses, business internships with multiple companies, and incentives for the pharmaceutical industry to headquarter there.

The article highlights the 2007 All-America City (AAC) Awards in the United States which honors communities for civic excellence. It is said that communities chosen to be an AAC have benefited from the award in a variety of ways including increases in economic growth, communal pride and prestige. Recipients of the ACC awards for 2007 include Flowing Wells, Arizona, Santa Rosa, California and Sierra Madre, California. The article describes the some of the projects and achievements these cities accomplished.

The article offers information on the recipients of the 2006 All American City Awards. The award in civic excellence is given to communities where nonprofit organizations, governments, citizens and businesses address community issues. Some of the awards recipients are Lincoln, California; Longmont, Colorado and Sarasota County, Florida. Accounts are also provided highlighting the urban community development projects which merited the awards.

The article presents an overview of the political history and structure of Detroit, Michigan from the 1970s to the early 2000s, highlighting the role and activities of citizens' district councils. Details are given outlining the creation of such councils for community development and to facilitate political engagement in poor and working class neighborhoods. Statistics are cited charting the demographic characteristics of the city during the period and describing the ways in which planning advisory boards were implemented to serve that population segment.

The article presents an overview of the Human Services Planning Alliance (HSPA), a human services organization based out of Polk County, Iowa. Details are given outlining the group's formation in 1998, its accomplishments in promoting community development and local political engagement in juvenile justice, education and public health, and its operating goals and processes. Several key elements to its operating methodology are highlighted including focus on incremental social change rather than large-scale reforms, the intentional application of language and negotiation practices, and personal involvement.

Deals with the role of community development corporation (CDC) in the economic recovery of urban areas in the United States. Features of the Mercado La Paloma marketplace established by the Esperanza Community Housing Corporation; Efforts made by CDC towards community development; Obstacles to CDC progress; Provisions of the tax relief law passed in 2000 aimed at creating incentives for economic incentives in distressed areas.

The article provides information on several cities in the United States that were awarded the National Civic League's 2000 All-America City Award, including Fresno, California; Naugatuck River Valley, Connecticut and Worcester, Massachusetts. Details are given outlining the social and local political conditions of each community within the previous decades and their successful establishment and implementation of political reform, community development, and civic engagement promotion through public programs are discussed.

The article presents a profile of the non-profit organization Rebuild LA (RLA) which was formed in 1992 to promote and facilitate urban renewal in Los Angeles, California after the riots and unrest of that year. The organizational structure of RLA is described, evaluating the level of its effectiveness. The activities which the RLA accomplished within the city during its 5-year tenure are also detailed, including promoting and directing business and private-sector resources towards urban community development, and economic development through small- and medium-sized business support. Commentary is also given reviewing the organization's success as a whole.

The article presents a discussion of the urban development initiatives of Newark, New Jersey during the second half of the 1990s. The city's designation as an Enterprise Community (EC) instead of an Empowerment Zone (EZ) by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is noted and the city's effective use of the federal resources to enact community development is highlighted. The city's particular use of social capital and nonprofit organizations to foster economic and social development is outlined. Commentary is also provided using Newark as a case example of effective municipal government in the face of challenging circumstances.

The article presents multiple profiles of U.S. cities which were nominated for the National Civic League's All-America City awards of 1999. Details are given summarizing the social and political conditions of communities such as Stockton, California; Wichita, Kansas and Tallahassee, Florida through the 1980s and 1990s. Discussion is given highlighting the civic initiatives, political reforms, and social movements which led to the urban renewal of the areas. Programs mentioned include the creation of cultural organizations and activities for youth, community-based crime prevention, and political re-engagement.

Recognizes the All-America City Award of the National Civic Leagues as an exemplary civic accomplishment of communities in the United States. List of communities that have received the award; Purpose of the award; Effect of the award on different communities in the US.

Focuses on the All-American City (AAC) Awards. Contributions of the AAC; Information on the AAC application; Factors that made Cleveland win five AAC Awards.

The article presents a summary of multiple urban youth projects in the United States that became finalists for the National Civic League's All-America City (AAC) Award in 1998, describing several urban programs developed through the 1980s and 1990s. The social-political conditions of communities such as Rochester, New York; Providence, Rhode Island and New Haven, Connecticut are described along with accounts of successful community-level initiatives regarding education, public health, and social intervention.

The article presents an historical overview of the All-America City Award, granted by the U.S. National Civic League, highlights from various cities which won the award since the 1950s, and descriptions of the 1998 winners. Details are given describing the circumstances leading up to the creation of the award. Several profiles are included describing the conditions and successful urban renewal and political reforms of several cities throughout the 1980s and 1990s including Fort Wayne, Indiana; New Haven, Connecticut and Riverside, California.

Suggests that community-service programs of the private sector must view disadvantaged urban communities as potential centers of profit and legitimate markets. Allstate Model for Community Partnerships; Overcoming trust barriers; Adjusting practices to urban needs.

Focuses on local government's restructuring of its city departments to enable them to partner with citizens, community groups and area businesses in the neighborhood revitalization of Charlotte, North Carolina. Development of the City Within A City (CWAC) strategy; Challenge to the city government; Key themes of CWAC.

Focuses on the efforts of the Urban Strategies Council to direct community attention toward the needs of disenfranchised youth in the United States. Controversial issue of welfare; Fundamental elements needed in order to achieve social equity; Black Community Crusade for Children's focus on youth violence.

This article discusses the presentation that the city of Richmond, Indiana made at the 2009 All America Cities conference. The presentation was made by a group of 24 teens and near-teens representing Richmond. Richmond had been called a dropout factory at the 2007 conference because of the lack of educational achievement of its students. The Richmond youth were praised for their answers to questions about the city and its future. Other cities earning praise included Phoenix, Arizona, Wichita, Kansas, and Fort Wayne, Indiana.