Regulatory Justice Initiative

Everyone has the right to earn an honest living, and city officials want to ensure their constituents can do exactly that: pursue their small business dreams while contributing to the local economy. But due to regulatory roadblocks, high fees, and time-consuming permitting and licensing processes, many entrepreneurs struggle to make their dreams a reality.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

The Institute for Justice (IJ) is a nonprofit, public interest government accountability law firm that litigates to secure the constitutional rights that allow all Americans to pursue their dreams. As part of the economic liberty pillar, Cities Work is IJ’s nonpartisan regulatory consulting initiative committed to increasing economic opportunity and fostering entrepreneurship in cities across the country. We partner with cities to make it cheaper, faster, and simpler to start a small business—all free of charge.

The Mayors Innovation Project is a national, nonpartisan peer learning network for US mayors and their senior staff dedicated to advancing equity, sustainability, and democracy in US cities. We work to bring fresh ideas and best practices to the mayors and cities we engage with, along with the support to put them into practice.