OSHA heat standard clears regulatory hurdle

A committee has unanimously recommended that the agency advance a rule to protect construction workers from high temperatures.

By Zachary Phillips • May 14, 2024

FEMA alters how it calculates costs, benefits of disaster resilience projects

The changes will address longstanding barriers that underserved communities have faced in accessing grants, the agency says.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 14, 2024

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 in 2024.

By Smart Cities Dive staff

23 states, rural co-ops sue EPA over ‘unlawful, unreasonable’ power plant rules

“This rule intentionally sets impossible standards to destroy the coal industry,” North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said Thursday.

By Robert Walton • May 10, 2024

EPA offers $41M to fortify stormwater, sewer infrastructure

Cities face a shifting stormwater picture driven by climate change and increasing urbanization, one engineer said.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 10, 2024

HUD’s $4.8B green retrofit program announces first construction project deal

A new heat pump system will replace the existing gas-powered system at an apartment community housing low-income older adults.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 9, 2024

‘Reliable’ coastal resilience funds needed from federal government, NYC mayor says

“We’re investing billions in green and grey infrastructure,” Mayor Adams said as the city broke ground on a $200 million project to protect lower Manhattan from sea-level rise. 

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 8, 2024

How can cities build a future with fewer gas pipelines?

As some communities question the logic of continued investment in the gas system, a new RMI and National Grid paper looks at efforts to find alternatives.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 6, 2024

DOE picks local clean energy projects to receive $27M in grants

More than three dozen state and local governments will receive funds, including $2.2 million for Chicago to launch a building electrification campaign, install EV chargers and other projects.

By Robert Walton • May 2, 2024

EPA unveils environmental justice ‘clearinghouse’ with hundreds of resources

The online library is an "excellent start" for municipal leaders looking to center environmental justice in their work, the National League of Cities’ sustainability director said.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 2, 2024

HUD tightens flood-protection rules for new and rebuilt homes

One floodplain manager predicts similar state and local standards may pop up nationwide, but those in real estate finance decried the rule.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 1, 2024

Clean energy transition could take ‘decades or generations,’ JPMorgan warns

New research from the U.S. bank pointed to inflation, high interest rates and geopolitical issues as key roadblocks delaying the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

By Zoya Mirza • May 1, 2024

Want to improve your transit system’s sustainability? A relaunched FTA program can help.

The Federal Transit Administration's two-year program includes an environmental review, virtual workshops and two audits and requires the participation of transit agency executives.

By Dan Zukowski • April 30, 2024

Energy Department finalizes rule to phase out fossil fuels in federal buildings

The elimination of on-site fossil fuel use in new projects after 2030 is part of the Biden administration’s push for net-zero emissions from federal facilities by 2045.

By Nish Amarnath • April 29, 2024

California’s nature-based solutions ambitions laid out in 81 goals

The state’s lands emit more greenhouse gas emissions than they absorb from the atmosphere. California aims to turn things around, but climate advocates question where funding will come from.

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 29, 2024

Facing expensive climate threats, NYC’s transit system unveils a resilience plan

The $6 billion climate resilience plan is meant to address rising sea levels, more intense storms and extreme heat events that will impact subways, buses and commuter trains. 

By Dan Zukowski • April 29, 2024

White House earmarks $1.5B in push for freight decarbonization

The largest piece of the president’s plan provides $1 billion to cities, states and tribes to replace heavy-duty vehicles.

By Larry Avila • April 26, 2024

Results are in for a Los Angeles cool pavement experiment

The covered neighborhood saw cooling benefits, a new study finds. But some researchers contend shade is king when it comes to protecting people from heat.

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 26, 2024

EPA awards $7B to 60 low-income solar access programs

The funds will support community solar programs as well as initiatives to provide loans and grants to low-income households looking to install rooftop solar, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

By Emma Penrod • April 24, 2024

What 54 climate adaptation plans say about how communities are preparing

Nature-based approaches constitute the largest category of total planned strategies, researchers found. They highlighted examples of progress and innovation from a variety of communities.

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 24, 2024

Want a 7-day forecast of heat risk near you? Check out this new federal tool.

The tool accounts for how unusual heat is in a specific location and pulls in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data on what that means for public health, federal officials said Monday.

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 23, 2024

US EPA designates 2 types of PFAS as hazardous substances

The long-awaited move is meant to hold polluters accountable. The Environmental Protection Agency says it won’t focus on enforcement at municipal landfills and water utilities.

By Megan Quinn • April 22, 2024

Air quality data is now widely available, but what should communities do with it?

With air quality sensors now costing as little as $100, some communities are hoping for more federal guidance on how to use them to support decision-making and regulation. 

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 19, 2024

Electric bus, railcar purchases sought by Chicago-based transit authority

The region’s three major transit agencies are hoping $375 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds will usher along their transition to zero-emission fleets by 2040.

By Dan Zukowski • April 17, 2024

Boston teams with climate tech company to map floods as they happen

The low-lying coastal city will use the technology to target alerts, evacuations and post-disaster resources to the neighborhoods that most need the support. 

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 16, 2024

80 transportation infrastructure resilience projects get $830M from USDOT

The grants are the first of their kind dedicated to protecting surface transportation systems from climate change-driven extreme weather, the agency said.

By Julie Strupp • April 15, 2024