Mobility Action Learning Network

The Urban Institute’s Mobility Action Learning Network is a 12-month training and technical assistance opportunity that provides coaching, peer learning opportunities, and data and planning tools to 26 localities across the United States to support them in boosting upward mobility and eliminating racial inequities in their communities.

About the Network

Through November 2024, the initiative’s training and technical assistance team is supporting network members in identifying and implementing strategies that promote upward mobility and racial equity in their communities.

This assistance includes trainings on the Upward Mobility Framework and related data and planning tools, one-on-one advisory support calls, a dedicated online platform for sharing resources, and peer learning opportunities with communities working toward similar goals.

Network members

Mobility Action Network members represent 26 communities across the country with populations ranging from 58,000 to 1.4 million. Each locality is participating as a “mobility action team,” made up of both government agencies and nongovernmental organizations, to effectively advance community-wide, cross-sector efforts to reach mobility and equity goals.

The localities are split into four “learn and share” tracks that build on their strengths, the programs they offer, and their learning goals:

Using Data for Decisionmaking

This track builds mobility action teams’ capacity to gather, analyze, and visualize data to understand mobility challenges and target solutions. Teams use data to create a comprehensive set of insights about the conditions hindering mobility from poverty and racial equity in their community.

  • Forsyth County, NC
  • Kansas City, MO
  • Ramsey County, MN
  • San Jose, CA
  • San Mateo County, CA
  • Tulsa, OK

Building Coalitions for Systems Change

This track guides mobility action teams on how to identify and engage with key mobility stakeholders and champions central to advancing upward mobility. Teams build and expand a cross-sector coalition capable of creating systems changes and promoting mobility from poverty and racial equity in their community.

  • Alexandria, VA
  • Dallas, TX
  • Green Bay, WI
  • Hammond, IN
  • New Haven, CT
  • New Orleans, LA
  • Palm Beach County, FL
  • Santa Barbara County, CA
  • Washington County, PA

Empowering Community Partners

This track builds mobility action teams’ capacity to share power effectively and conduct deep and meaningful community engagement. Teams explore a repository of community-engagement methods for mobility action planning and learn how to assess power dynamics and power sharing and how to build sustainable partnerships with community members to inform long-term work.

  • Denver, CO
  • Dubuque, IA
  • Tacoma, WA

Measuring Impact

This track demonstrates how mobility action teams can measure progress toward upward mobility and racial equity goals in their community. Teams gain a better understanding of program assessment tools and measurement plans that focus on systems changes and benchmarks for impact.

  • Charlotte, NC
  • Dayton, OH
  • Fairfax County, VA
  • Memphis, TN
  • Pima County, AZ
  • Providence, RI
  • Richmond, VA
  • Rochester, NY

Selection Process

Network members were selected through a competitive process in which they had to demonstrate several key competencies, including readiness to advance upward mobility and racial equity, capacity to sustain the work after the technical assistance period, and strong, established partnerships between local government and nongovernmental actors. Those selected to join were tasked with acting as ambassadors for the Upward Mobility Initiative in their communities and sharing lessons learned to advance upward mobility in their communities beyond this opportunity.

Urban is not currently accepting new applications for the learning network. Sign up for our newsletter to learn about future training and technical assistance programs and our upcoming virtual workshops.