Equity: Page 2

  • The streets are empty in Washington, DC.
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    Elan Irving via Getty Images
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    Study on delivery worker conditions, pay mandated in DC

    The study could be the first legislative step toward a citywide effort to regulate the pay and conditions of delivery drivers. 

    By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • March 8, 2024
  • New York State Police, MTAPD and New York National Guard patrol and conduct container inspections at Grand Central Station on March 6, 2024 in New York City.
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    Adam Gray via Getty Images
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    NYC subways get National Guard, state police patrols after high-profile assaults

    While New York City Mayor Eric Adams and transit workers applaud the move, others express concerns about racial profiling.

    By • March 7, 2024
  • smart city, smart cities Explore the Trendline➔
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    jamesteohart via Getty Images
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    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 in 2024.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff
  • A person in a coat rides a bicycle holding a red DoorDash bag.
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    Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    DoorDash shifts pay scheme, cuts flexibility for New York City workers

    DoorDash says its fees in the Big Apple have driven down delivery sales, but the city says data from delivery firms shows otherwise.

    By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • March 6, 2024
  • Mother helping son with homework at home
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    Stock Photo via Getty Images
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    As the Affordable Connectivity Program sunsets, what’s next for low-income students?

    With the responsibility to keep students connected at home shifting to school district leaders, experts say partnerships with state and local governments and plans for other Federal Communications Commission initiatives are key.

    By Anna Merod • March 6, 2024
  • Traffic moves along Interstate 80 on November 27, 2019 in San Francisco, California.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    States must assess road safety for pedestrians, cyclists under FHWA proposed rule change

    The Federal Highway Administration wants to update regulations for the Highway Safety Improvement Program to align with federal equity and safety priorities.

    By • March 6, 2024
  • Corn field and a house.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Iowa bill seeks to bring grocery options to underserved communities

    Introduced by a state representative who formerly owned a food store, the proposed legislation would provide grants of $50,000 to $500,000 to grocers with up to 10 locations.

    By Catherine Douglas Moran • March 4, 2024
  • A council chamber where a man and woman in suit sit on dais while four people, one wearing a jacket labeled DSNY, sit at a table facing the dais.
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    Jacob Wallace/Smart Cities Dive
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    ‘We are behind’: On composting, NYC’s new sanitation chair pushes for funding, transparency

    Budget cuts to New York City’s community composting program are “unacceptable,” Council Member Shaun Abreu said at the first Sanitation and Solid Waste Management Committee hearing of the year.

    By Jacob Wallace • March 1, 2024
  • Close up of three metal keys on a keyring sitting on a white table
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    Veni vidi...shoot via Getty Images
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    Newark, New Jersey, sells residents $1 homes to fend off corporate property buyers

    The city hopes the $1-home lottery will shore up local homeownership and combat neighborhood blight. It’s not the first community to try the strategy, and it likely won’t be the last.

    By Gaby Galvin • March 1, 2024
  • An engineer checking a maintenance pipe system for ventilation and air conditioning on the rooftop of a building.
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    Amorn Suriyan via Getty Images
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    NYC defines ‘green economy,’ projects job growth in new action plan

    The 124-page plan released yesterday is the city’s latest signal that it is hungry to be at the center of climate change-related business and workforce growth.

    By • Feb. 29, 2024
  • Two people wait on the curb before crossing a major intersection in Los Angeles.
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    Kevork Djansezian via Getty Images
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    Pedestrian deaths declined modestly in first half of 2023: GHSA

    “A decrease in pedestrian fatalities is welcome news,” said the Governors Highway Safety Association's Adam Snider, but the numbers are still far above pre-pandemic levels.

    By • Feb. 27, 2024
  • Aerial shot of flooded neighborhood
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    Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Climate risk planning portal from Argonne National Lab gets new features

    The portal uses one of the world's largest supercomputers to model climate change hazards. Now, communities can use it to predict impacts on vulnerable populations and infrastructure.

    By • Feb. 26, 2024
  • Hazy orange sky over cityscape
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    MattGush via Getty Images
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    EPA rolls out $83M for air quality monitoring after tightening soot standard

    The Biden administration is hoping to clean up the nation’s air, but about two-thirds of U.S. counties lack air monitors, according to Earthjustice.

    By • Feb. 22, 2024
  • A blonde woman in a powder blue suit speaking into a mic, surrounded by people.
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    Sara Samora/Smart Cities Dive
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    Congress reintroduces PFAS litigation bill

    The PFAS Accountability Act would make it easier for those significantly exposed to forever chemicals to sue manufacturers.

    By Sara Samora • Feb. 16, 2024
  • Air pollution hangs over city skyline and urban sprawl.
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    Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    Transportation and public health ‘need to be working in collaboration with each other’

    Transportation decisions that affect public health shouldn't be made in isolation, a former CDC official says.

    By • Feb. 15, 2024
  • Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter trains at North Station on May 12, 2021.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Boston area transit agency to offer half-price fares for low-income riders

    Up to 60,000 riders could be eligible for the program, which has the potential to increase ridership 30% among that group, the MBTA says.

    By • Feb. 13, 2024
  • A person speaking into a microphone in front of a brick wall
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    Retrieved from Screenshot: Boston City TV/YouTube on February 09, 2024
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    Boston’s first networked geothermal project will electrify 7 public housing buildings

    Geothermal systems are a promising approach to transitioning communities off fossil fuels for heating and cooling, experts say.

    By • Feb. 9, 2024
  • Aerial shot of city buildings on a sunny day
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    adamkaz via Getty Images
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    Neighborhood-scale building decarbonization: 2 approaches

    Relying on the replacement of one appliance at a time isn’t enough to meet federal and state climate goals, said the Building Decarbonization Coalition’s executive director. 

    By • Feb. 6, 2024
  • Passengers board a Metra commuter train at Union Station on September 15, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Chicago commuter rail begins reduced-fare program for low-income riders

    The new 18-month pilot program is open to all recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the six-county region served by the commuter rail operator, Metra.

    By • Feb. 2, 2024
  • Aerial shot of city streets and tall buildings
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    RoschetzkyIstockPhoto via Getty Images
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    US cities’ outlook for 2024

    Cities are pushing ahead on innovative bids to build more sustainable, safe and equitable communities, but many of the roadblocks they face likely aren't going anywhere.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff • Jan. 31, 2024
  • The backs of three people sitting at an overlook over a city and mountains at sunset
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    Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Extreme heat watch: Will cities be ready for summer 2024?

    This year could be even hotter than last year’s record-breaker, some scientists say. Cities are using the winter to prepare.

    By • Jan. 31, 2024
  • Two colorful maps side by side, with the left map in clearer resolution and the right map more pixelated
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    (2024). [Map]. Retrieved from NOAA Office for Coastal Management.
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    NOAA releases high-resolution land cover data to boost coastal climate resilience efforts

    The new data is 900 times more detailed than what the agency previously provided. Local leaders have asked for such data for years, but it is often prohibitively expensive, NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said.

    By • Jan. 26, 2024
  • The front of the U.S. Capital with white clouds and blue sky.
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    Sara Samora/Smart Cities Dive
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    Federal lawmaker seeks funds for USDA grocery-access program

    Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand introduced a bill that would require the government to provide $50 million per year to a program that incentivizes grocers to bring stores to underserved areas.

    By Sam Silverstein • Jan. 24, 2024
  • Close up of person's hands typing on a laptop
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    damircudic via Getty Images
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    Mayors urge Congress to fund broadband access program for low-income households

    The Affordable Connectivity Program, which lessens the burden of internet bills for nearly 23 million households, will run out of funds this spring if it does not receive further congressional appropriations.

    By Iulia Gheorghiu • Jan. 24, 2024
  • Two people holding rakes stand in floodwater up to their shins in front of a laundromat. A person in a yellow raincoat walks by.
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    Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    More heavy rainfall, flooding prompt NYC to create innovation working groups

    Stakeholders will meet for six months to inform existing efforts and come up with new ideas as the city faces a comptroller investigation into its heavy rainfall management.

    By • Jan. 22, 2024
  • Three people embrace in a hug in a crowded room.
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    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    FEMA overhauls disaster aid to help survivors recover faster

    The reforms announced Friday mark the most significant update to survivor assistance in 20 years, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said. However, “implementation will be key,” one expert said.

    By • Jan. 19, 2024