2023 Smart Cities Outlook

In the year ahead, city leaders will face economic headwinds while tackling the housing shortage and changes in travel behavior and decarbonizing transportation and buildings.

By Michael Brady • Feb. 1, 2023

New Jersey adopts law spurring low-carbon concrete

Heralded as a first-of-its-kind law in the U.S., the policy will create tax credits to incentivize the development and procurement of concrete that lowers or captures emissions associated with the highly polluting industry.

By Maria Rachal • Feb. 1, 2023

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from Smart Cities Dive

From worsening climate change to a shifting transportation landscape and the housing affordability crisis, cities have their work cut out for them.

By Smart Cities Dive staff

Office conversions will soar this year: report

Apartments have made up one-third of office conversion activity since 2016, according to a report by commercial real estate firm CBRE.

By Leslie Shaver • Jan. 31, 2023

7 projects to watch in 2023

From an NFL stadium to a major airport expansion and a massive manufacturing plant, these high-profile, high-impact projects are expected to hit significant milestones this year.

By Construction Dive Staff • Jan. 30, 2023

How green building policy could evolve in 2023

After reducing energy use in buildings, cutting embodied carbon is next on the green policy agenda for state and local leaders, potentially prompting a shift from concrete and steel to materials like timber or straw, experts say.

By Adina Solomon • Jan. 26, 2023

Walkable urban areas are popular but have an affordability problem: report

People are paying a premium to live in dense and walkable neighborhoods, according to new data analysis, which could be a bright spot for downtowns impacted by pandemic-era work changes.

By Maria Rachal • Jan. 25, 2023

El Paso to reconnect neighborhoods divided by highway with deck plaza

The Texas city will work with Stantec on the design and planning for a downtown public space with regional amenities over Interstate 10, which might also be widened as part of the project.

By Dan Zukowski • Jan. 25, 2023

Cost of proposed San Francisco commuter, high-speed rail tunnel grows to $6.7B

The 1.3-mile tunnel would bring commuter trains to the downtown transit center, but pre-pandemic ridership hasn't returned along the line.

By Dan Zukowski • Jan. 24, 2023

Electric vehicles near ‘tipping point’ in 2023

Key developments for EV adoption this year include implementing federal incentives, developing a national charging network and addressing utility issues, according to transportation, energy and real estate professionals.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 20, 2023

Nearly all US mayors worry about climate change’s local effects: report

Mayors said their regulatory powers, especially building codes and zoning, are their most effective tools to address climate change. But they are reluctant to limit residents’ behavior or the use of old technology.

By Michael Brady • Jan. 19, 2023

4 trends that could shape smart cities in 2023

These overarching trends affect the decisions communities are making around transportation design, street space, housing and revitalizing downtowns that have struggled with fewer office workers.

By Smart Cities Dive Team • Jan. 13, 2023

Transit agencies must consider land use and new travel patterns, transportation officials say

New travel patterns driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and remote and hybrid work are forcing transit agencies to reconsider their planning and operations, transportation officials said at the Transportation Research Board's Annual Meeting.

By Charles Pekow • Jan. 12, 2023

DC mayor sets goal of 15,000 new residents downtown within 5 years

Mayor Muriel Bowser’s plan would ultimately add more than 100,000 new residents to downtown Washington, D.C., by converting office space into residential housing, but it calls for federal assistance as well.

By Danielle McLean • Jan. 4, 2023

Updating local regulations may ease EV charging rollout

Improved regulations make it easier for developers to “know what they’re getting into,” said one transportation planner.

By Kalena Thomhave • Jan. 4, 2023

13 predictions about the trends that will shape smart cities in 2023

Cities will get smarter about transportation infrastructure needs, continue to rethink the use of downtown spaces and look at where data can help inform various operations, readers said.

By Danielle McLean • Jan. 3, 2023

10 conversations in 2022 on the future of mobility, high-speed rail, resilience and more

Smart Cities Dive caught up with executives from businesses including GM and Replica; officials from Austin, Oakland and other cities; and leaders from the U.S. Congress and Ukraine.

Jan. 3, 2023

As e-bike fires rise, calls grow for education and regulation

Some point to cheap aftermarket batteries as the primary factor in e-bike and e-scooter battery fires and worry that micromobility device storage bans will set back transportation decarbonization efforts.

By Dan Rosenbaum • Dec. 22, 2022

New York state climate panel outlines ambitious road map to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

The plan is a “bold, monumental achievement,” New York’s environmental commissioner said, but the head of an independent power producer industry group said it fails to adequately address grid reliability.

By Stephen Singer • Dec. 20, 2022

Jersey City to fund community projects based on resident feedback

Local officials said the New Jersey city’s first participatory budgeting pilot worked better than expected, allowing them to understand residents’ priorities.

By Michael Brady • Dec. 20, 2022

Lights installations in cities are more than just a holiday attraction

The public art can spur foot traffic, create community and support economic development during a time when urban spaces can otherwise be less lively, organizers say.

By Gaby Galvin • Dec. 19, 2022

US reaches 140k public EV charging ports as key federal official says $90B infrastructure investment needed

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation is preparing to finalize rules setting out minimum standards for a nationally-funded electric vehicle charging network.

By Robert Walton • Dec. 15, 2022

Demand soars for EV charging at apartments

Infrastructure options and cost incentives have become more complex as the electric vehicle revolution gears up.

By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Dec. 13, 2022

NYC apartment owners weigh the dangers of electric bikes, scooters

Lithium-ion batteries used in mobility devices such as electric bikes and scooters have caused nearly 200 fires and six deaths in New York City this year.

By Leslie Shaver • Dec. 9, 2022

San Jose, California, to eliminate minimum parking requirements

It’s the largest city in the U.S. to ax parking requirements, according to data from the Parking Reform Network. 

By Michael Brady • Dec. 9, 2022

Biden administration releases federal building performance standard, plan to electrify federal buildings

The new standard sets federal building electrification goals for 2030. The U.S. Department of Energy is seeking to require all new or renovated federally-owned buildings to be electrified.

By Danielle McLean • Dec. 7, 2022