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    These 3 housing programs are showing results. A new initiative wants to bring them to other cities.

    With investments of $450,000 to $750,000 in 14 cities, Bloomberg Philanthropies wants to replicate housing programs from Atlanta, San Diego and Austin, Texas.

    Updated Oct. 19, 2026
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    Dan Zukowski/Smart Cities Dive
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    AI, battery-powered trains, transit funding among the highlights of APTA Transform 2026

    Mayors, transit leaders and other industry participants showcased new strategies and products at the Chicago conference as the U.S. faces a challenging public transit environment.

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    Julie Strupp/Smart Cities Dive
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    3 notable office-to-residential conversions in DC

    Washington is seeing a boom in adaptive reuse downtown, but for a conversion to be successful, “You need the good fundamentals. You need a good location,” National Real Estate Development’s Peter Epstein said.

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    The image by Erich Fabricius is licensed under CC BY 3.0
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    North Carolina passenger rail line to get $550M from US DOT

    The project will relieve train congestion and allow North Carolina and Virginia to schedule more frequent passenger trains, according to the North Carolina transportation department.

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    Robyn Griggs Lawrence/Smart Cities Dive
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    Plan now for 2027’s top smart city conferences and events

    Technology, transportation, housing, climate, finance and more are on the agenda for local government leaders at these upcoming gatherings.

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    Q&A

    What it takes to become a climate haven

    An emerging framework helps local leaders assess their climate advantages, shore up vulnerabilities and prepare for population growth. One of its creators explains how it works.

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    The Municipal Cost Index

    For insights into how inflation is affecting the cost of providing municipal services, see the Municipal Cost Index's latest data from September.

    Updated Oct. 16, 2026
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    Landfill methane threatens planned storm sewer, Harris County, Texas, lawsuit alleges

    Excessive methane emissions and contaminated soil and water could threaten public safety, according to the lawsuit seeking closure and permanent capping of Hawthorn Park Landfill.

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    Confidence in public-sector AI adoption may be outpacing control, survey finds

    Less than 20% of state and local government information technology professionals say they have a formal AI governance framework in place, a UserEvidence survey found.

  • Several people walking and standing near a display of transit buses.
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    Dan Zukowski/Smart Cities Dive
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    AI, rider communications and accessibility innovations showcased at Chicago APTA Expo

    One rail car company plans to launch an innovation hub in the U.S., it announced at the event.

    Updated Oct. 19, 2026
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    Nic Antaya via Getty Images
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    DOT proposal tying grants to birth, marriage rates could disrupt projects, senator says

    The change could affect transit project funding and trigger new reviews and requirements. Sen. Patty Murray called it "bizarre and dystopian."

  • People standing in a train car.
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    Dan Zukowski/Smart Cities Dive
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    Battery-powered trains coming to Chicago: a first look

    Commuter rail systems like Chicago's Metra are exploring battery-electric trains to increase service while reducing diesel exhaust pollution and noise.

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    These cities rely less on property taxes to fund city services

    Smaller cities should emulate larger cities’ more diversified approach to design fairer tax systems, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy says.

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    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    HUD’s biggest changes in 2026 to date

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is seeking to “lead a renaissance of housing revitalization,” Secretary Scott Turner said. Here are the steps it's taken this year.

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    Dan Zukowski/Smart Cities Dive
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    3 transit leaders explain how they fund major projects

    Chicago, New York and Seattle transit leaders outlined their solutions to revenue shortfalls, legal challenges and inflationary pressures at an American Public Transportation Association conference.

  • A person working on a system of pipes and a large white box.
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    Permission granted by SFPUC
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    Water reuse at the building level could help cities close the infrastructure gap

    San Francisco’s water reuse ordinance offers a model for cities looking to stretch supplies, lower infrastructure costs and take advantage of public-private partnerships.

  • A hand brushes organic materials like vegetable scraps off a plate and into a bin
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    Integration plays key role in curbside organics programs, report finds

    Local governments should take a holistic approach to drive participation and cost efficiency, the Natural Resources Defense Council found.

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    Dan Zukowski/Smart Cities Dive
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    3 Sun Belt mayors seek more public transportation as their cities grow

    Voters who once turned down funding for public transportation now see the need as their cities' populations grow and residents gravitate to downtowns, panelists at an American Public Transportation Association conference said.

  • A person stands at a podium with a sign that says, "Chicago, City of Big Shoulders," surrounded by many people.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    FEMA violating court order on $1B in public safety grants, states’ lawsuit says

    The states are seeking enforcement of a permanent injunction that bars the agency from conditioning emergency management and counterterrorism funds on federal immigration cooperation.

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    Bipartisan housing agenda links federal support to local building rules

    The Build America Caucus proposes 60 policy measures to accelerate development, including “right-to-build zones” and faster federal multifamily lending.

  • Aerial view of damaged buildings and debris along a flooded river.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    $2.2B in FEMA disaster mitigation grants in limbo, GAO says

    More than 700 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grants are unresolved. The delays threaten to drive up costs and strain local governments, a Government Accountability Office official says.

  • A row of three small homes with a grass lawn and trees in the background.
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    HUD manufactured housing plan aims to spur production

    The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act ushers in significant changes to how the affordable housing type can be built and opens a path to a “repeatable multifamily construction” framework.

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    Courtesy of ABC Companies/Cor
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    2 bus companies plan to enter US transit market by 2028

    ABC Cos. is launching a new line of transit buses, while VinFast will bring its Vietnamese-made electric buses here via a new partnership.

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    County, state financial leaders call for more federal housing support

    “We know our communities, and we're ready to build. We just need a federal partner willing to build with us,” Coconino County, Arizona, Treasurer Sarah Benatar said.  

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    John Moore via Getty Images
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    What the Senate permitting bill means for local infrastructure projects

    The bipartisan proposal would streamline reviews and permitting and require data centers to pay for their share of transmission costs. Here's what local government associations think of it.