Hawaii, which imports foreign oil for nearly 90 percent of its energy requirements, has unveiled a public-private partnership to create a network of charging stations for electric cars. This program is part of the state's effort to reduce its fossil fuel use 70 percent by 2030. The state will work with Better Place, a California-based company, to create the infrastructure.

In an effort to fight urban blight, Pennsylvania has enacted legislation that gives a court-designated "conservator" the power to take control of abandoned buildings. The conservator, often a nonprofit group or redevelopment authority, can choose to renovate or demolish the structure, and can file a lien against the property to help cover costs. Property owners will have the option of recovering the building, if they repay renovation expenses. Supporters expect the measure to target blight faster than traditional tax sales or condemnations.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants to create the largest network of solar power of any city in the world, to supply 10 percent of LA's electricity by 2020. Solar LA will use incentives like the SunShares Program, allowing residents to purchase shares of a municipal solar power plant in exchange for dividends in the form of credits on their energy bills. Other incentives include tax breaks to promote the installation of residential and commercial solar systems, utility-scale projects directed by the city's Department of Water and Power, and solar systems installed on the rooftops of city-owned property.

In Virginia, Henrico County Public Schools and the Henrico Police have partnered to strengthen driver education for high school students. On a crash avoidance range, young drivers are guided by experienced instructors to become familiar with the power and limits of their vehicles. The range has a skid detection station equipped with a slippery surface, a place to practice obstacle maneuvering and brake-testing, and other simulation areas. The program has already resulted in a significant reduction of accidents involving first-year drivers.

Communities that wish to improve their residents' lifestyles are looking to the town of Somerville, Massachusetts, as a model. Observers credit Shape Up Somerville, a collaboration between the town and Tufts University, with encouraging these positive trends. In recent years, Somerville's efforts have included increasing its bicyclist lanes, promoting the use of fresh produce at school cafeterias, renovating or rebuilding eight parks, and strengthening its ties to community-supported agriculture.

The Data Quality Campaign has awarded Pennsylvania its 2008 Leadership Award for its creation of the Pennsylvania Information Management System. PIMS is a data collection system that confidentially tracks the learning progress of every student from early childhood through higher education. PIMS has collected data on demographics, attendance, and program participation of more than 1.8 million students. It has also collected data on 170,000 staff members and 11.5 million course enrollments. The Gates Foundation funds the Data Quality Campaign, which is a collaborative effort that encourages the use of high-quality education data to improve student achievement.

The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority is piloting the deployment of "high-capacity" subway cars without seats on its Red Line, in an effort to meet the dramatic rise in public transit use due to high gas costs. Under the plan, each car will hold up to 200 riders and will be clearly identified to commuters by signs at the car's entrance. The program follows a similar one in cities like New York, which unveiled a limited number of cars without seats last summer.

Long Island Index, a nonprofit data group, and the City University of New York Mapping Service have created an interactive, color-coded map of Long Island that contains census, transportation, and land-use data. The map will help give public leaders and community organizations a valuable tool in understanding and advocating for their community.

In an effort to reach a larger audience with a bigger message, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is releasing his State of the City address on YouTube this week. The 7.5-hour speech, divided into ten chapters, discusses such topics as the status of health, education, the environment, transportation, violence prevention, and the economy. The format caters to today's shorter attention spans, and allows the mayor to both delve deeper into major policy issues and address those topics that might not get the same treatment in a traditional address to constituents.

An increasing number of baby boomers and retirees are answering their country's call to service through the Peace Corps program. The agency values this demographic because these volunteers often have useful skill sets and life experiences that can be an asset to their post. President-elect Barack Obama recently endorsed the two-year program.