Executive Order 13602: Establishing a White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities
President: Barack Obama
Created a White House council to coordinate federal technical assistance for locally led economic strategies.
Status: Revoked.
Is Executive Order 13602 still in effect? No. Expressly revoked and superseded by EO 13748 in November 2016.
What does Executive Order 13602 do?
EO 13602 institutionalized the Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiative after an initial pilot. A cabinet-level council coordinated teams, fellowship support, peer learning and philanthropic engagement while participating cities set their own priorities. EO 13748 revoked the order and folded its community-assistance approach into a broader Community Solutions Council, ending the original SC2 council.
Later evidence reviewed September 23, 2026: EO 13748 revoked and superseded EO 13602. Federal Register — EO 13748. This later record documents the stated step; it does not by itself establish every downstream agency action or legal outcome.
Before and after
Before the order
Distressed communities often navigated fragmented federal programs and technical-assistance channels.
After the order
Interagency teams worked with selected communities until a broader successor council replaced the structure.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| White House Council | Coordinate agencies and select participating places | Completed |
| Federal agencies | Provide technical assistance within existing authority | Completed under SC2 |
| Community Solutions Council | Carry forward broader place-based coordination | Successor structure |
What happened next
EO 13602 created the council.
EO 13748 revoked and superseded EO 13602.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
Assistance remained subject to agency statutes, appropriations, grant rules and local authority. The council could coordinate but not award funds outside those rules.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 23, 2026. How we research →