The Latest

  • People stand in line to board a green bus seen through a glass partition.
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    Dan Zukowski/Smart Cities Dive
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    How 4 trends favor intercity buses

    As gas prices and air fares rise, more and better buses may entice travelers, an expert says.

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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    5 ways these D.C. suburbs are turning climate goals into local results

    Takoma Park, Maryland, and Dumfries, Virginia, are advancing resilience through funding alignment, infrastructure upgrades and resident engagement.

  • Construction continues on the Hudson Gateway Tunnel project
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    Spencer Platt/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Surface Transportation Legislation

    Civic leaders outline 8 surface transportation priorities

    Nine business-led organizations from major cities urged Congress to support passenger rail and transit programs in upcoming transportation legislation.

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    Getty Images
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    ADA website accessibility compliance deadline extended 1 year for local governments

    While many localities are well-positioned for the accessibility standards, some are still learning about them, an expert said.

  • Many people walking and standing on a train station platform alongside a train with buildings in the background.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Amtrak to get $4.7B for Northeast Corridor projects, opens bids for new long-distance trains

    The U.S. Department of Transportation also opened applications for funding to improve passenger rail ridership and enhance multimodal connections with intercity buses.

  • Aerial view from skyline with skyscrapers in Brooklyn downtown New York on the Hudson river
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    Getty Images
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    $4B affordable housing initiative launches in New York City

    The four-year program invests pension funds into affordable housing efforts, including office-to-housing conversions.

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    Getty Images
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    Residents in some neighborhoods live 30 years longer. Researchers developed a model to close that gap.

    “Universal basic neighborhood” is a new framework that shows cities how to spread health, not concentrate it.

  • A blue and purple bus along a road in Virginia.
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    Courtesy of Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
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    Virginia launches cross-state bus service

    The state-supported Tidewater Current route links 10 cities from Virginia Beach to Harrisonburg, with a stop at Richmond International Airport.

  • Line of cars sitting in a traffic jam.
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Stuck in traffic: How to get the urban mobility dream moving

    Policy fragmentation, weak incentives and political hesitation are stalling the future of urban mobility. Here’s how cities can break the gridlock.

  • 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 is now updated with data from March. See how it stacks up against nearly 50 years of data.

    Updated April 20, 2026
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    Permission granted by LA Family Housing and Century Housing
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    Q&A

    Addressing the housing crisis requires “coordinated action at scale:” affordable housing CEO

    Streamlined processes and deeper public-private coordination can spur development in the communities that need affordable housing most, says the new leader of a California housing nonprofit.

  • Many people walking toward the camera underneath a structure with a stopped transit bus.
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    Courtesy of Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
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    Atlanta transit agency’s revamped bus network starts Saturday

    The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority streamlined bus routes for “modern customers using transit in an ever-evolving Atlanta region,” it said.

  • A large body of water with a city skyline in the background.
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    Getty Images
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    Boston eyes water-based thermal network to ease grid strain

    The BosTEN initiative explores whether a closed-loop system using thermal energy from the city’s waterways can deliver scalable heating and cooling — and what regulatory hurdles could stop it.

  • Wide view of row houses leading to skyline of downtown Philadelphia.
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    Getty Images
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    These 2 cities enacted upzoning policies to boost housing development. It’s working, study says.

    New York and Philadelphia generated thousands of housing units and permits in upzoned areas since enacting reforms, but such efforts are “insufficient” on their own, an Urban Institute study found.

  • A bald man in a dark suit and tie sits at a desk in front of a microphone.
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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    Transit and rail funding cuts in Trump budget ‘a dramatic step backward,’ advocates say

    The fiscal year 2027 budget proposal slashes billions from transportation programs and eliminates funding for high-speed rail.

  • Aerial view of a complex of buildings with housing development next to it.
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    Nathan Howard via Getty Images
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    How much power do cities have over data centers?

    A Wisconsin referendum highlights the limits of local authority and the growing need for cities to negotiate community benefits and cost protections, experts say.

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    Getty Images
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    Kentucky cuts ‘red tape’ on affordable housing from faith-based organizations

    The bill allowing religious developers to bypass some permitting rules received pushback from an environmental group.

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    Getty Images
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    NYC launches concierge-style service, enhanced web tools to aid Local Law 97 compliance

    New resources to help building operators plan retrofits, including resilience planning and expanded workforce development, will cut through red tape, city officials say.

  • Back view of a man holding a smartphone in front of a white Waymo vehicle with an Uber sign on the front door.
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    Courtesy of Uber Technologies
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    Uber eyes $10B robotaxi investment: Financial Times

    The ride-hailing company may begin a shift from driver-owned vehicles to company-owned robotaxi fleets, according to the newspaper.

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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Trump targets ‘bureaucrat tax’ to build more homes

    Cutting restrictive zoning and land-use regulations could help spur 13.2 million new homes, according to a White House analysis.

  • A pink sticky note with the words "Non Profit" on top of a pile of balance sheets.
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    Getty Images
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    As the federal government cuts funding, nonprofits are turning to cities

    With one-third of nonprofits facing funding disruptions, local governments are emerging as an option to replace lost federal dollars. 

  • Construction workers help build a mixed-use apartment complex which will hold over 700 units of apartment housing and 95,000 square feet of commercial space on January 25, 2024 in Los Angeles
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    Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Local government staffing shortages threaten housing development, experts say

    Nearly 38% of local government employees are expected to retire within the next five years, one study found.

  • A small white plastic pail with food scraps and a label on composting guidelines
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    Courtesy of Recology
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    Opinion

    Why waste diversion pilots struggle to scale

    The problem is rarely technology. It’s the upstream behavior inside homes and buildings.

  • A mechanical arm on a garbage truck grabs a large waste bin sitting on the street near a sidewalk.
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    Permission granted by New York City Sanitation Department
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    Mamdani commits to containerizing New York’s residential waste by 2032

    New leaders in City Hall are beginning to negotiate the sanitation budget, and they want containerization to be part of the picture. But challenges still lie ahead.

  • A view of a large ferry boat seen through a sign that reads "Public Market."
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    John Moore via Getty Images
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    $657M for ferries available from 3 FTA grant programs

    Separately, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $517 million in grants for bridges in rural areas.