Equity
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$100K won’t cover basic costs for a family in 25 of the top metros, report finds
The “magic number” salary that ensures financial stability is changing, the authors wrote.
By Ginger Christ • April 18, 2025 -
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ICE agents denied entry into LAUSD elementary schools
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security maintains the incidents, which rattled the education community, were "wellness checks on children who arrived unaccompanied at the border."
By Naaz Modan • April 16, 2025 -
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More public EV charging, including curbside, envisioned in Chicago plan
“By prioritizing equity and public input, we’re creating a roadmap for electric transportation that serves every neighborhood and helps drive down emissions across Chicago,” CDOT Commissioner Tom Carney said.
By Ryan Kushner • April 10, 2025 -
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Court orders Baltimore to spend $44M on sidewalk upgrades for ADA compliance
The agreement follows others requiring public right-of-way improvements in Boston, Philadelphia, New York City and Los Angeles.
By Danielle McLean • April 9, 2025 -
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Fort Worth, Texas, sues 3M, Dupont, DOD over PFAS contamination
The city said the chemical manufacturers sold and distributed PFAS-containing firefighting foam to the U.S. Navy and Air Force.
By Sara Samora • March 20, 2025 -
Retrieved from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
EPA to end environmental justice programs, monitoring tools
As part of the Trump administration’s end to environmental justice programs, it has cut off access to EJScreen, a monitoring tool used to track environmental justice metrics.
By Megan Quinn • March 14, 2025 -
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EPA revisiting dozens of climate, environment rules in ‘day of deregulation’
The agency said it would roll back a range of rules and programs, including some that are foundational to its efforts to address climate change. A new WOTUS definition is expected, as well as rollbacks to an emissions reporting program.
By Jacob Wallace • March 13, 2025 -
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DOT removes equity, environmental factors from IIJA funding decisions
The move rolls back a Biden-era policy that included these considerations in decision-making criteria for infrastructure projects.
By Julie Strupp • March 12, 2025 -
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California wildfire air pollution insights coming from air sensor network
Residents can track localized pollution, including particles from the wildfires that tore across Los Angeles in January, thanks to improvements in air quality sensor tech.
By Kalena Thomhave • March 10, 2025 -
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Are EVs the best approach to transportation equity? Maybe not, TEI report says
EVs’ high costs and the need for public charging make them less viable for many low-income communities, the Transportation Energy Institute says. It suggests a more inclusive approach.
By Dan Zukowski • March 3, 2025 -
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DOT funding priorities benefit Whiter, wealthier communities: Urban Institute
A plan to tie funding to marriage and birth rates would leave behind historically underserved communities, according to an Urban Institute analysis.
By Kalena Thomhave • Feb. 25, 2025 -
Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
AI offers benefits, risks to public transit: Urban Institute researcher
Transit agencies must balance potential safety and efficiency improvements against hacking, data privacy and equity concerns, Senior Research Associate Lindiwe Rennert says.
By Dan Zukowski • Feb. 24, 2025 -
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Pedestrian deaths highest on dark city roads at night: AAA report
Crashes involving pedestrians were also disproportionately higher in socially and economically disadvantaged communities in the cities it studied, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found.
By Dan Zukowski • Feb. 11, 2025 -
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How 4 cities are advancing affordable housing despite NIMBYs
Public engagement and policies that cut through red tape are among the tools city leaders use to overcome neighborhood opposition.
By Danielle McLean • Feb. 10, 2025 -
OlegAlbinsky via Getty Images
The Smart Cities Outlook for 2025: Change is coming
From new federal policies to growing technologies like AI and robotaxis, cities will encounter many changes while they continue to tackle housing, homelessness, climate and equity issues.
By Smart Cities Dive Staff • Jan. 31, 2025 -
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State lawmaker seeks ban in new shot at algorithmic pricing
Landlords’ use of automated rent-setting software is “plainly illegal,” Sen. Jess Salomon in Washington state says.
By Robert Freedman • Jan. 28, 2025 -
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D.C.’s proposed bottle bill aims to tackle high-profile pollution in Anacostia River
Bill sponsors say a bottle bill could help alleviate pollution that has long affected communities of color. It calls for a 10-cent deposit starting in 2028, with a recycling rate target of 70% the first year.
By Megan Quinn • Jan. 27, 2025 -
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Starbucks reverses open-door policy as it pursues coffeehouse environment
Under the new policy, customers will have to make a purchase if they want to hang out in Starbucks coffee shops or use its bathrooms.
By Kristen Doerer • Jan. 15, 2025 -
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Q&AHow an Oklahoma City sales tax fuels the city’s ‘renaissance’
Mayor David Holt led the planning process for the fourth voter-approved renewal of a sales tax for public infrastructure focused on human needs.
By Dan Zukowski • Jan. 2, 2025 -
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9 predictions about what 2025 may hold for US cities
“Playground” cities will thrive, innovative housing programs will proliferate and technology will transform transit and municipal services, these sources say.
By Smart Cities Dive staff • Jan. 2, 2025 -
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US DOT issues final rule on accessibility standards for transit riders
The rule sets guidelines for state and local transportation departments and transit agencies to improve access for users with disabilities at transit stations.
By Dan Zukowski • Dec. 20, 2024 -
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California kicks off e-bike incentive program statewide
Income-qualified buyers can access vouchers of up to $2,000 each through the program, which is expected to fund the purchase of up to 1,500 e-bikes.
By Dan Zukowski • Dec. 17, 2024 -
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Transportation equity data available in newly updated US DOT online tool
The tool helps state and local governments prioritize transportation investments that benefit disadvantaged communities. U.S. DOT is seeking feedback on the update.
By Dan Zukowski • Dec. 16, 2024 -
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How 5 states are innovating SNAP
From produce-buying incentives to in-app discounts, new pilots and programs aim to help people stretch funds from the nation’s largest anti-hunger program.
By Catherine Douglas Moran • Dec. 12, 2024 -
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Lowest-income households face highest transportation cost burden: federal report
Motor vehicle costs, including purchase, insurance, fuel and maintenance, eat up the largest amount of transportation costs across all U.S. households.
By Dan Zukowski • Dec. 10, 2024
