The Latest

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    Permission granted by Frederick County, Maryland
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    Nominate a project for the 2026 Smart Cities Dive Community Project Awards

    The awards will highlight innovation and effective use of technology to solve real community problems.

  • Hawaii, Wolford v Lopez, Alito, Supreme Court, SAF
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    MollyNZ via Getty Images
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    Allowing guns in stores is the default, Supreme Court says

    In shooting down a Hawai'i law, the top court puts the onus on owners of public-facing private property to say guns are prohibited if they want to keep their property gun-free.

  • The Dallas cityscape.
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    Getty Images
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    These 10 metro areas have added the most housing units since 2020: report

    Texas metro areas have led the nation’s 6.6% uptick in metro-area housing units, an Urban Institute analysis found.

  • A stone building with a seal and FEMA written on it.
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    Getty Images
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    FEMA

    FEMA offers $1.5B in anti-terrorism funding as local governments assume larger security role

    Applications are open through July 24 for grants supporting cybersecurity, emergency coordination, election and border protection and transit security.

  • An aircraft with multiple rotors on the ground against a background of blue skies and crowds.
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    Permission granted by Eve Air Mobility
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    Air taxi manufacturer Eve Air Mobility takes a different path to flight

    The Florida-based company, closely linked to aircraft manufacturer Embraer, sees air taxis as a way to relieve traffic congestion in crowded cities.

  • A worker installs a solar panel on a flat, white rooftop with a palm tree in the background.
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    Courtesy of Sunrun
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    VPP using residential batteries, smart thermostats could ease data center grid crunch, developers say

    Sunrun, Tesla and Renew Home say 9 million homes could provide a faster alternative to infrastructure expansion for cities managing data center acceleration.

  • President Donald Trump speaks with the Washington Monument in the distance.
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Trump blocks Road to Housing Act after it passes Congress

    Municipal leaders, who have long sought federal action to address the housing crisis, say this bill is the answer. President Trump said he won’t sign it until an election law overhaul is approved.

  • A bridge over a large river with city skyline beyond.
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    Getty Images
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    Climate migration is coming. Cincinnati wants to shape its effects.

    The city’s new readiness plan positions population growth as an economic asset while developing a strategy to expand housing, strengthen infrastructure and protect affordability and social services.

  • A blue and yellow bus lettered "100% Electric" and "DASH" on a street with trees.
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    Courtesy of Alexandria Transit Company
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    On-route electric bus chargers coming to Alexandria, Virginia

    The chargers will keep the city’s growing fleet of battery-electric buses on the road longer.

  • A person in military fatigues stands aiming a gun in front of a car that says "U.S. Customs and Border Protection" with crowd and military officers in the background.
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    Apu Gomes via Getty Images
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    Trump’s ‘sanctuary city ordinance’ lawsuit against LA dismissed

    “This order reinforces the well-established principle that local governments have the authority to decide how to use their personnel and resources,” Los Angeles’ city attorney said.

    Updated June 24, 2026
  • A person wearing a blue suit sits at a table speaking into a microphone while people sitting in seats surrounding look on.
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    Jim Vondruska via Getty Images
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    DOJ subpoenas of Minnesota city and state leaders quashed in federal court

    Saying the subpoenas were intended to "harass, coerce, and retaliate,” the judge reinforced legal limits on federal efforts to pressure cities and states into supporting immigration enforcement operations. 

    Updated June 23, 2026
  • A red "sold" sign on a yellow post is in front of a small house.
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    David McNew/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Starter homes cost $1M in a record 242 US cities: Zillow

    Cities with million-dollar starter homes now span 26 states, up from nine before the pandemic, a Zillow analysis found.

  • A white vehicle outfitted with many sensors stopped at a curb in with people and buildings in the background.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Tracker

    Robotaxis: The latest developments

    Autonomous vehicle technology supplier Mobileye will start its own robotaxi service in 2027.

    Updated June 23, 2026
  • Fireworks exploding over a body of water while a crowd watches from the stands.
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    Permission granted by Choose Chicago
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    Cities leverage America250 celebrations to boost tourism, civic pride and unity

    From block parties and historical reenactments to museum exhibits and concerts, cities and counties are using the nation’s milestone anniversary as a catalyst for community and connection.

  • Two people in the foreground under an overhang alongside a line of cars.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    Lyft charting a path toward more walkable, connected cities

    Could bikes, scooters, ride-hailing and robotaxi services be an opportunity to have fewer cars on the road? Lyft’s chief policy officer thinks so.

  • Double exposure of coin stack and notebook laptop computer with financial graph on white paper business planning vision and finance analysis concept
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    Getty Images
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    The Municipal Cost Index

    The Municipal Cost Index, designed to show the impact of inflation on the cost of providing local government services, has been updated with the latest data from May.

    Updated June 22, 2026
  • Construction heavy machinery moves along dirt next to two roads that stretch out of frame on a clear, sunny day.
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    Courtesy of Virginia DOT
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    Virginia approves 6-year, $28.5B infrastructure plan

    The massive plan will fund more than 4,300 construction and infrastructure jobs across the state.

  • Three people on a sidewalk with luggage and cars parked along a curb in front of or brick building.
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    Permission granted by Joseph Schwieterman
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    Chicago to buy, renovate Greyhound bus terminal

    The city’s action, aimed at improving the customer experience for some 450,000 riders each year, saves the bus station from possible closure or demolition.

  • An aerial view of houses in various stages of construction.
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    Brandon Bell/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    7 takeaways from Harvard’s 2026 state of housing report

    “Construction is down, home sales are flat and cost burdens are up,” the lead author of the annual Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies report said. 

  • Yellow earth mover scooping up debris from demolished home.
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    We can’t build our way out of the housing crisis while losing homes every day

    The path forward is not just about adding supply. It is also about protecting it.

  • A person wearing a t-shirt that says "Build Affordable Housing" standing with group of people wearing black pants and black t-shirts.
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    Retrieved from Quentin Lucas/Instagram on June 18, 2026
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    Crime is falling. Why don’t residents feel safer?

    Statistics alone won’t change public perception, say the mayors of Providence, Rhode Island, and Kansas City, Missouri. Building trust requires visibility, relationships and consistent communication.

  • A blurred rider on a bicycle with tall buildings in the background.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Biking in US cities is getting better, 2026 report says

    In PeopleForBikes’ annual rating, the number of cities with bike infrastructure that scored 50 or higher on a 100-point scale more than doubled this year.

  • Several office buildings on a clear day next to a road busy with cars and one bus.
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    Getty Images
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    As a Maryland city mulls upzoning, a Realtor association study touts its benefits

    A “missing middle” housing proposal in Rockville, Maryland, would boost the city’s housing stock 4.5%, the local Realtor association said.

  • Cars at night with streaks of headlights and tail lights on a wide street with building on each side.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    With 125 speed camera installations, LA’s speed safety program becomes California’s largest

    Speeding behavior and crash history factor into installation sites, with many locations using multiple cameras, Verra Mobility said.

  • A two-story red brick building on a multilane street with a U.S. and other flag visible and cars parked in front of it
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    Permission granted by Ameresco
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    Energy savings performance contracts offer a path to building upgrades when city budgets are tight

    With deferred maintenance growing and capital dollars stretched thin, local governments are using ESPCs to fund energy and infrastructure improvements through future operational savings.