The Latest

  • ICEEE, heat pumps, U.S. energy cost savings
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    Heat pumps, other energy-efficient appliances could cut energy costs by more than $100B a year: report

    Policies that would shift the market from electric resistance and gas heating to heat pumps provide the largest potential savings, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy says.

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    Adobe Stock/Mikael Damkier

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    Sponsored by Energy Systems Group (ESG)

    Beyond the stadium: What the World Cup can teach every community about first impressions

    Why the visitor experience begins long before the first match and lasts long after the final whistle.

  • Two people using shovels to dig holes.
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    Retrieved from Climate Action Tucson.
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    5 extreme heat communication strategies from mayors in hot cities

    Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Tucson Mayor Regina Romero share lessons from a new Climate Mayors toolkit to help local leaders keep residents safe during dangerous heat.

  • A black Lucid Gravity robotaxi riding on a an urban street at night with its lights on.
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    Courtesy of Lucid Group
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    Self-driving Ubers are coming to Houston, San Francisco

    Uber, Lucid and Nuro jointly developed the robotaxis. Public rides may begin in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year.

  • Wood row homes amid tightly packed taller brick apartment buildings.
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    Amid push for 222K new homes, Massachusetts eases variance request requirements

    The reform measure asks local zoning boards to weigh variance requests for their potential benefits to the community.

  • Water treatment plant infrastructure with the sun rising behind it.
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    Local projects would get billions under water infrastructure bill

    The Water Resources Development Act, which would provide $30.5 billion for state revolving funds, passed unanimously through House and Senate committees.

    Updated July 16, 2026
  • A van on a roadway alongside a sign reading "Begin Toll Zone."
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    Congestion pricing has little to no effect on NYC parking: report

    Tight parking conditions largely predated the program, the report found. Increased parking use, where it occurred, was likely due to economic growth.

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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    New York freezes new large data center projects for one year

    The first statewide moratorium will give officials time to evaluate impacts on electricity demand, water resources, infrastructure and surrounding communities, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office said.

    Updated July 15, 2026
  • Two adults, a young child and baby in a stroller, accompanied by a dog, cross the street amond trees and homes in the background.
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    Fly View Productions via Getty Images
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    US pedestrian deaths decline for third straight year

    The estimated reduction in pedestrian fatalities in 2025 came as cities and states increase law enforcement and other measures, the Governors Highway Safety Association said.

  • A city skyline with a body of water in the foreground.
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    Top concerns of city leaders: 4 takeaways from NLC’s State of the Cities 2026

    As they face shrinking federal support and housing shortages, city leaders focus on attracting business for economic growth, a National League of Cities report found.

  • A rooftop solar installation against the backdrop of the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building in midtown Manhattan.
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    Getty Images
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    Community solar, incentives helped New York reach 8 GW of distributed solar capacity

    Consistent incentives, standardized utility processes and regulatory collaboration are key to rapid growth, experts say.

  • A view of a white domed building.
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    Getty Images
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    Bipartisan federal housing bill becomes law

    Widely championed by municipal groups, the bill provides more federal housing funding and new financing tools and could ease some regulatory burdens.

  • A person in green at a podium with two other people on a red carpet and a crowd of people holding since behind them.
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    Courtesy of Governor Kathy Hochul/Flickr
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    Faster buses, more reduced fares goal of New York city, state agreements

    More automated camera enforcement of bus lane infractions also will come from agreements between New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

  • A person speaks at a podium surrounded by other people standing inside a massive concrete square.
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    Permission granted by Vashon Jordan Jr./Chicago Office of the Mayor
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    With extreme rainfall overwhelming Chicago’s sewers, the city tries a new approach

    A $12 million pilot for underground stormwater storage targets flooding in historically underserved neighborhoods.

  • A person wearing a suit and red tie sitting at a table adjusts glasses.
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    $1.1 trillion a year in federal funding at risk in proposed OMB grant overhaul, municipal leaders warn

    Local officials are urged to comment before July 13 on a regulatory change that would expand agencies’ power to cancel grants and alter how they manage annual funding.

  • 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

    Waymo will add four more cities but awaits a permit to operate in Washington, D.C.

    Updated July 10, 2026
  • Two brown DSNY organics collection bins on the side of a street
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    The image by Tdorante10 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    NYC commercial composting requirements could grow under new law

    Waste officials could expand organics diversion requirements if they find sufficient processing capacity and costs competitive with landfilling or incineration.

  • Man is a blue suit at a desk with a microphone.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    $1.73B for roads, bridges, transit and other projects allocated in USDOT awards

    More than three-quarters of grants went to road and bridge projects, while public transit received less than 10% of total award funds.

  • A white car that says NYPD in front of a building with the words New York Police Department.
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    Getty Images
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    Election security requirements added to FEMA homeland security grants

    The agency is requiring states and “high-risk urban election jurisdictions” to use paper ballots and verify voter citizenship. Previous immigration and diversity-related restrictions have sparked state and local government lawsuits.

  • RTW, return to work, California RTW mandate, Adam Morgan, Bureau
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    California return-to-office mandate puts state buildings to the test

    As more than 100,000 state employees shift to four in-office days, experts say the bigger question is whether government offices are designed for how people work today.

  • People walking on a plaza to and from a glass-front building with a sign reading "Brightline."
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    Courtesy of Brightline Florida
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    Brightline Florida rail company faces bankruptcy

    Despite strong ridership on the Miami-Orlando, Florida, rail line, the company’s $5.5 billion debt puts its future in doubt.

  • People standing and swimming in the water at a beach.
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    Spencer Platt/ via Getty Images
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    Extreme heat road map urges cities to rethink resilience

    Treat extreme heat as a chronic risk, the Federation of American Scientists says. It offers solutions ranging from grid resilience to cooling access.

    Updated July 8, 2026
  • Aierial view of the planned Sky Castle apartment building in Los Angeles.
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    Courtesy of Kennedy Wilson
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    LA to get 4,000 affordable housing units via adaptive reuse, new construction

    The former LA World Trade Center will be converted into 512 affordable units to kick off the effort.

  • A person with a handheld camera films another person standing and holding their arm.
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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.

  • A sign reading "road closed" on a flooded road with damaged homes behind.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Resilience projects need funding. Green banks could help them reach new investors, one researcher says.

    A hybrid institutional capital model could package small infrastructure resilience projects to make them attractive to institutional investors, a new research paper proposes.

  • In January 2022, Waterton acquired Oasis Townhomes in Waipahu, HI, an 18-acre townhome community with 406 rental residences across 99 two-story garden style buildings which more than doubled Waterton’
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    Permission granted by Waterton
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    4 takeaways from the NLIHC national renter survey

    Many renters facing unaffordable rents lack other housing options, according to the 2025 National Renter Survey by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.