The Latest

  • Person wearing a yellow uniform working underground on pipes.
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    Permission granted by Energy Trust of Oregon
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    Column

    Pipes as power plants: How cities can use their water systems to generate clean energy

    Cities can turn routine water infrastructure upgrades into long-term energy and resilience investments, but only if they identify the opportunity before valves need to be replaced.

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    iStock / Zamrznutitonovi

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    Sponsored by Schneider Electric

    Municipal facility planning amid funding and workforce scarcity

    Local leaders need a new playbook as facilities age, experts retire, and federal funding disappears.

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    The image by Insightwm is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    125-mph passenger trains could connect San Antonio and Austin, Texas, in about an hour: HNTB study

    The trains would run on a dedicated rail line and cost about $13.5 billion, according to a feasibility study commissioned by Travis County.

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    3 California cities sued over alleged violations of state housing rules

    Housing advocacy groups say these cities are attempting to limit the impact of a new state law designed to increase housing density near transit.

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    Getty Images
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    Column

    Cyberattackers are using AI. Local governments must, too.

    While state and local governments grapple with questions about AI, many are using it to enhance their cybersecurity operations — and build public trust in the process, Dataminr’s Tim Miller writes.

  • Oak Park gas appliance ban, federal court ruling in favor of the Village of Oak Park
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    Gas appliance ban in Oak Park, Illinois, upheld by federal judge

    The Chicago suburb can keep its ban because it doesn’t impose efficiency standards in conflict with federal law, the ruling found.

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    Retrieved from Altoona Now.
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    As states move to cut property taxes, cities brace for fallout

    Florida and Oklahoma voters could soon weigh major property tax cuts, and Iowa has capped local revenue growth. The reforms will squeeze local budgets, municipal leaders say.

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    Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Illinois city leaders balked at statewide housing reforms. A Realtors group wants to work with them.

    Illinois Realtors’ Housing Supply Accelerator Program aims to work with local governments on updating their housing regulations. “The battleground is local,” its president says.

  • Two futuristic electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft fly over farmland.
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    Courtesy of Joby Aviation
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    Tracker

    Air taxis and urban air mobility: The latest developments

    Florida gets some of the 138 eVTOL charging sites from Beta Technologies, with more coming this year.

    Updated Aug. 20, 2026
  • A person wearing a suit signs a paper while standing behind a wooden desk.
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    Permission granted by Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
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    Sweeping new data center rules give local governments more leverage in Pennsylvania

    "If the local community doesn’t approve a project, the state won’t approve it, either,” Gov. Josh Shapiro says.

  • A person stands on a sidewalk next to a traffic signal as cars whiz by.
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    Courtesy of Ouster/Georgia Department of Transportation
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    Utah to add intelligent intersections

    The Utah Department of Transportation aims to improve safety for vulnerable road users by using lidar-based traffic management technology.

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    Getty Images
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    The Municipal Cost Index

    For insights into the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services, see the latest data from July in the Smart Cities Dive Municipal Cost Index.

    Updated Aug. 19, 2026
  • Two people wearing yellow uniforms and hats and a black dog searching through a vast pile of rubble.
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    Andrea Booher via Getty Images
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    FEMA public safety grant policy challenged in city, county lawsuit

    Four local governments sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security over new requirements that would withhold $200 million in funding unless they verify voter citizenship and switch to paper ballots.

    Updated Aug. 19, 2026
  • A sleek 2-door bronze color vehicle crosses an intersection with trees and buildings in the background.
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    The image by 9yz is licensed under CC BY 4.0
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    Tesla readying Cybercab launch in Austin, Texas: The Information

    The two-seat Cybercab, which lacks typical driver controls, will likely begin test rides with Tesla employees before opening to the public, according to news reports.

  • Construction workers assemble a squat prefabricated house with two windows under a blue sky.
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    Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    ADUs had a banner year in LA County. It’s not enough to fill the housing gap, study says.

    Nearly 40% of housing units added in the county last year were accessory dwelling units, according to research from the University of Southern California’s Lusk Center for Real Estate.

  • Two locomotive lable Amtrak next to a station platform with people on it.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Amtrak, cities and states get $5.3B in federal rail grants

    Using funds from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded grants to 41 projects across 23 states.

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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Extreme indoor heat is a housing violation, Arizona warns landlords

    The state’s most recent lawsuit against Tucson landlords reflects a nationwide movement to establish maximum indoor temperatures for rental housing.

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    John Moore via Getty Images
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    Seattle bans rental ‘junk fees’

    The new transparency ordinance eliminates administrative service charges, pet rent and package fees and requires upfront pricing for tenants.

  • Aerial view of a large viaduct.
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    Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority
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    California high-speed rail project could run out of money by end of 2027, inspector general says

    State infusions of $1 billion a year over 20 years won’t come fast enough to keep construction on track, the authority’s Office of Inspector General said.

  • Wood frames for homes under construction surrounded by dirt with a concrete road in the foreground.
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    Getty Images
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    State preemption laws are changing the land use landscape

    More than 500 state bills containing clauses preempting county land use authority were introduced across 40 states, a National Association of Counties analysis found.

  • A red fire engine speeds through a city street with tall buildings in the background.
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Fire response is infrastructure. Cities should treat it that way.

    Aging fleets and increasingly demanding fire conditions require cities to rethink how they support the technology behind emergency response.

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    Housing supply, affordability barriers the focus of US Chamber housing council

    Building on ROAD to Housing law momentum, the advisory council will push for zoning, permitting, capital and workforce measures it says could result in more housing.

  • Locomotive and passenger train at a station with many people.
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    Courtesy of Metrolink
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    Commuter railroads scramble to meet 24% jump in liability insurance coverage requirements

    Passenger railroads have until Sept. 4 to find new policies they can afford. If they can't, they may have to cease operating, an industry advocate warns.

  • Close-up of person's hands, one hand holding a credit card and the other typing on a laptop.
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    Getty Images
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    Online payments: 8 ways cities can make them easier and safer

    Cities need to think beyond the payment portal to consider integration, security and user experience when implementing electronic payments, experts say.

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    Spencer Platt/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    NYC luxury home tax moves ahead while courts review lawsuit

    A Staten Island judge ordered a halt to the city’s rollout of a new “pied-à-terre” tax. The city’s appeal stayed the order.

  • A red, white and blue locomotive and train at a station with a person walking toward an escalator.
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    Dave Collins via Getty Images
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    FTA grants $1.28B for Utah commuter rail

    The 83-mile FrontRunner rail line connecting Ogden, Salt Lake City and Provo would get more trains and track, but federal funding questions could impact the project.