Global Public Policy, Community and Public Relations

The ICSC office of Global Public Policy represents the retail real estate industry before the U.S. federal and state governments, provincial (Canada) government and the European Union. It coordinates the grassroots (organized outreach to elected officials) and government relations activities of ICSC volunteer members to advance/shape legislation or regulations impacting ICSC members’ bottom line. Broadly speaking, ICSC is active in the areas of tax, capital markets, environmental regulation, land use and numerous others.

The Alliance program, the hallmark of ICSC’s Community Relations effort, is devoted to enhancing public/private partnerships thereby bringing about a greater understanding of the shopping center industry and its economic impact on communities.

The ICSC political action committee (PAC) is the only federally registered political action committee that represents the interests of the shopping center industry and ICSC members. ICSC PAC works to build the political clout our industry needs with Members of Congress and to assist the election of legislators who support our issues.

ICSC exercises its legal muscle by filing amicus curiae briefs in appropriate national or international cases under appeal and by providing members information on such issues as involuntary public access, lease clauses and new legislation. ICSC also publishes the Shopping Center Legal Update.

ICSC gets the association’s and the industry’s message to the media through a coordinated public relations effort involving national, regional and local consumer media as well as business and trade press. National ICSC-sponsored programs in the U.S. and Canada highlight the shopping center industry’s community service efforts.