Former President Donald J. Trump’s felony convictions in a New York state court several weeks ago highlights two opposing narratives explaining the country's current divide.  Each narrative resonates well with different components of urban communities. Each major political party has crafted its preferred narrative to resonate with its target voters.  In doing so, these opposing narratives significantly erode the social fabric of American cities.

Local governments and officials can play essential roles in shaping urban environments in ways that are conducive to collective action that slows the rate of global warming.  Or, if their local governance mechanisms are not designed and implemented thoughtfully and effectively, they can also contribute to a range of problems and obstacles to such action.