The Latest

  • Two people wearing black seen from the wait down walk by a sign with an arrow and the word "Uber."
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Uber prepares for World Cup with payment kiosks for international tourists

    The kiosks, to be installed at airports, hotels and ports, enable visitors to easily book and pay for a ride.

  • People entering a bus stopped at a curb.
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    Courtesy of Valley Transportation Authority
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    How one city increased transit bus speeds by 20%

    San José, California, employs AI traffic signaling to favor buses, helping keep them on schedule.

  • Downtown with tall buildings along a river.
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    Getty Images
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    Kansas City, Missouri, moves to the forefront of data center zoning with new ordinance

    U.S. communities are watching closely as Kansas City reclassifies data centers as industrial facilities and launches a review of their impacts on water, power, climate goals and economic growth.

  • A sign that welcomes visitors to the city of Sacramento sits in the foreground, in front of a tall, white, domed building. Ahead is a long shot of grass, with buildings on the periphery.
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    Getty Images
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    With a boost from Meta, Sacramento eyes more affordable student housing

    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg pledged $50 million for a downtown project that will facilitate affordable housing, STEM facilities and an AI center.

  • A technician replaces a light bulb outside a senior's home.
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    John Moore via Getty Images
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    Federal energy-assistance programs survive budget gauntlet

    President Trump signed budget bills to maintain funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Weatherization Assistance Program on Feb. 3, 2026.

  • A shot at night of the Philadelphia skyline.
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    Getty Images
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    Philadelphia’s $2B bet on affordable housing

    The city’s HOME initiative aims to build and preserve 30,000 housing units.

  • Two people standing inside a train wearing uniforms reading "transit ambassador."
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    The image by Battlesnake1, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons is licensed under CC BY 1.0
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    US House bill would fund transit safety ambassadors

    The bill aims to provide federal grants for programs based on a successful initiative to reduce crime on San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit system.

  • Burned-down neighborhood
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Column

    Beyond resilience: The case for regenerative, restorative cities

    City leaders are redefining resilience as a system that regenerates ecosystems, restores communities and listens to residents.

  • 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 CEO outlines AV plans

    Uber expects to have robotaxis in 15 cities by the end of this year, but AVs will not replace all human drivers, the company’s CEO said.

  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stands in front of a podium, speaking with a hand raised.
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    Getty Images
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    HHS launches $100M program to address homelessness, substance abuse in 8 localities

    HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the pilot program will be open to faith-based organizations.

  • Mercy Othello Plaza Apartments TOD March 22, 2019.
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    Courtesy of Sound Transit
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    Transit-oriented development bill introduced in Congress

    The bipartisan Build HUBS Act would incentivize construction of more housing near transit lines nationwide.

  • Yellow sign with graphic of a traffic signal reads "Red light photo enforced" over another yellow sign depicting pedestrians against a blurred backround of a city street.
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    Getty Images
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    US DOT looks to limit traffic safety camera funding

    Automated red-light and speed enforcement cameras will no longer be eligible for certain federal grants except in school or work zones.

  • A main streeet with parked cars and low storefronts on a sunny day.
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    The image by Dwight Burdette is licensed under CC BY 3.0
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    Can the maker economy drive local economic revitalization? 6 Michigan communities are about to find out.

    Leaders from six Southeastern Michigan communities will receive training on revitalizing downtowns by supporting small-scale manufacturing.

  • 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, which provides results that local government officials use to monitor commodity price increases and trends, is now available for December 2025.

    Updated Feb. 3, 2026
  • Utah Gov. Spencer Cox
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    The image by Utah Reps is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    Utah is planning to construct a vast homeless shelter. Some critics are calling it a ‘detention camp.’

    Two members of Congress joined the National Homelessness Law Center in calling for a rejection of federal funding for the 1,300-bed facility in Salt Lake City.

  • 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

    The Tesla Cybercab will go into production in April, according to Elon Musk, and Tesla owners could one day enlist their vehicles in the company’s robotaxi fleet.

    Updated Feb. 2, 2026
  • A blurred view of a city street, neon U.S. flag and person with an umbrella.
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    Getty Images
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    The Smart Cities outlook for 2026: Pressure points for city leaders

    As cities navigate housing reform, transportation needs, climate resilience, AI and changes in federal funding, 2026 will be a consequential year for how they govern, budget and protect their autonomy.

  • View from rear seat of a vehicle with a computer screen showing roadway map and conditions.
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    Courtesy of American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
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    Ohio DOT-Honda project demonstrates connected vehicle road hazard detection

    Connected vehicle data could improve worker safety and reduce costs, partners said about the two-year project's results.

  • Aerial view of apartment property
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    Permission granted by Neighborhood Ventures
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    Where one investor sees distressed apartment opportunities

    Neighborhood Ventures is launching a second opportunistic $25 million fund to acquire troubled multifamily properties.

  • Men and women seated along a row of tables with two rows of chairs behind them.
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    (2026). "Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Member Day" [Video]. Retrieved from T&I Committee Republicans/YouTube.
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    Deep Dive // Surface Transportation Funding

    Surface transportation bill will shape the U.S. transportation outlook

    Preserving public transit funding, increasing safety and issues of local and state control are among stakeholder priorities. Can lawmakers forge a bipartisan path forward?

  • Silhouette of person's head surrounded by cityscape.
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    Getty Images
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    How cities are using AI in 2026

    “We’re all in learning mode … and looking at it with a wary eye,” one mayor said about AI’s potential for municipal operations. Read more in this 2026 outlook.

    Updated Feb. 2, 2026
  • View of a truck tipping waste on the floor of an industrial incineration facility
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    Cole Rosengren/Smart Cities Dive
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    Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Miami metros debate incinerator plans

    Advocates continue to pressure officials to close or cut off waste shipments to incinerators in Minneapolis and the Philadelphia area. But progress continues on an incinerator in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

  • Three people kneel and one person stands in front of large signs that say "Renee Good, American Mom" and "Alex Pretti, ICU Nurse"
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Local officials nationwide move to hold federal immigration agents accountable after Alex Pretti’s death

    Mayors, attorneys general and lawmakers are advancing new laws and coalitions to prosecute federal agents who exceed their lawful authority. “It can happen anywhere,” a Minnesota mayor said.

  • A large round machine with cutting wheels on its green face inside an industrial building.
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    Courtesy of Gateway Program
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    Hudson Tunnel construction may stop as Trump withholds funding

    Nearly 1,000 workers will lose their jobs on Feb. 6 if the $16 billion project in New York and New Jersey is put on hold, the project authority said.

  • President Donald Trump speaks at a podium with a seal in front of U.S. and other flags.
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    How Trump could make good on his threats to cut ‘sanctuary’ city funding

    The administration could quietly squeeze cities through discretionary grants, a legal expert says. Here’s how cities should prepare for Trump’s Feb. 1 deadline.