As sea levels rise, it’s time for West Coast communities to overcome ‘taboo of managed retreat’: report

It is urgent for some coastal communities to begin considering managed retreat because the longer they wait, the more expensive it will be, says a report by the international Ocean & Climate Platform.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 8, 2023

How governments are updating ‘operational technologies,’ including AI, and the challenges that remain: survey

Over half of the survey respondents reported their agency plans to upgrade systems by 2025, a Center for Digital Government and Samsara survey found. Operational efficiency and cost savings are a big reason why.

By Michael Brady • May 4, 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

To spur geothermal heating and cooling, DOE funds 11 community-scale system design projects

DOE will select several of the designs for development to advance community-scale geothermal systems, which are relatively uncommon in the U.S.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 3, 2023

California spent $1.3B in cap-and-trade funds on climate, equity projects in 2022

The California Climate Investments funding addressed affordable housing, transportation, energy costs, extreme heat, fire, access to clean drinking water and more, a California Air Resources Board official said.

By Kalena Thomhave • May 2, 2023

Affordable, all-electric and energy-efficient housing gets $15M boost from NYC initiative

The initiative “will demonstrate to the affordable housing market a highly replicable new construction solution,” said Doreen Harris, president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 2, 2023

Mobility could be transformed by 2035, with US car sales dropping 30%: report

As cities and consumers move toward new mobility options, “the mobility ecosystem will most likely undergo a transformation not seen since the early days of the automobile,” a McKinsey report says.

By Michael Brady • May 2, 2023

Orders of natural gas-fueled and battery-powered waste trucks rose in 2022, report says

A consulting report anticipates zero-emissions trucks will become “the law of the land” as companies and local governments shift away from diesel.

By Jacob Wallace • May 1, 2023

Women, people of color, renters underrepresented on land-use boards: report

Homeownership and other requirements could create barriers to participation that “function as inexplicit racial filters,” an Urban Institute report found.

By Gaby Galvin • April 28, 2023

Uber, Lyft more responsive to ride demand than taxis are during emergencies: study

“In light of our findings, service providers and city planners should reevaluate and improve their mobility platform, particularly under emergencies, disasters and hazards,” one researcher said.

By Michael Brady • April 28, 2023

First state law banning gas in new buildings passes in New York

The law does not include a “poison pill” provision backed by the oil and gas industry, which environmental and social justice advocates had worried would make its way into the measure.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Updated Dec. 21, 2023

Worried about gas ban litigation? After court tosses Berkeley rule, legal experts look at cities’ options

Other “totally lawful opportunities” exist for local governments to phase out gas in new buildings, such as through building codes, said a senior fellow at Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law.

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 27, 2023

Elon Musk’s company town plans worry some locals, urban planners

The plans for Snailbrook, near Boring Co. and future SpaceX manufacturing facilities in central Texas, raise questions about local governance, environmental impacts and more.

By Adina Solomon • April 24, 2023

$562M for coastal resiliency projects announced by Commerce Department

The money from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law will fund nearly 150 projects across the country focused on bolstering the country’s response to climate change.

By Jennifer Goodman • April 24, 2023

Fight or adapt to climate change? It’s ‘a false trade-off’ for cities, climate experts say

Cities should pursue projects that do both, said panelists at last week’s Cities Climate Action Summit. “A resilient building is also a low-carbon building,” said Jane Gilbert, Miami-Dade County’s chief heat officer.

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 24, 2023

ARPA funds used to fill city budget gaps, Brookings analysis finds

Spending American Rescue Plan Act funds on “revenue replacement” allowed localities to free up money for long-term priorities, such as economic development, a Brookings Metro researcher said.

By Kalena Thomhave • April 21, 2023

Cybersecurity best practices for smart cities issued by CISA

Smart city technologies are at risk “of exploitation for espionage and for financial or political gain by malicious threat actors,” according to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

By Michael Brady • April 21, 2023

Air quality disparity between Eastern and Western states grows as climate change undermines progress: report

Nearly 64 million U.S. residents lived in counties with a failing grade for daily particle pollution in 2019-2021 — a 10-year high for that measure, according to the American Lung Association’s 24th annual “State of the Air” report.

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 19, 2023

New York City to test local delivery hubs

Microhubs will provide designated locations for trucks to unload items for last-mile delivery providers in a pilot program starting this summer. The city hopes they will curb traffic congestion and lower vehicle emissions. 

By Max Garland • April 19, 2023

An ‘early warning system’ for urban drought is this research team’s goal

The project aims to “provide useable information for decision makers” as many cities turn to trees to address climate change impacts.

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 18, 2023

In fast-growing cities, land-use reform could decrease climate pollution, provide housing: report

As cities nationwide grapple with housing and climate crises, some researchers are examining how land-use decisions may help address these challenges.

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 14, 2023

Google’s free tree canopy tool now covers hundreds more cities. Here’s how early adopters are using it.

In Austin and Chicago, the tool has helped empower and engage community members, leaders said. The tech giant plans to expand it to thousands more cities this year. 

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 13, 2023

Booming EV sales amp up the pressure on cities and companies to meet charging demand

“This is a wake-up call,” an executive at an energy management company said. “The transformation required to enable widespread vehicle electrification will be a massive challenge.”

By Dan Zukowski • April 13, 2023

On infrastructure jobs, OSHA steps up workplace safety enforcement

As federal funds flood into construction projects thanks to the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is concerned about protecting workers in the infrastructure sector.

By Julie Strupp • April 12, 2023

Tighter EPA vehicle emissions standards may speed up electric vehicle transition

The new emissions standards would apply to 2027 through 2032 model-year vehicles, but they would not mandate EVs, leaving it up to automakers to decide how to meet the rules.

By Dan Zukowski • April 12, 2023

Low-carbon materials eligible for climate resilience, disaster recovery funding: FEMA

Local governments can access federal funds to buy low-carbon concrete, asphalt, glass and steel through three programs under the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 11, 2023