The Latest

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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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    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.

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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.

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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.

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    Cool Cities Lab heat-mapping tool helps cities target relief where it’s needed most

    From Atlanta’s cool roof ordinance to Boston’s pilot programs, cities are using block-level data to identify heat risks and deploy targeted solutions.

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    This city is not just training its staff on AI, it’s educating the public

    San José, California, is partnering with OpenAI, Google and Anthropic to make AI tools and education available to residents through the public library.

  • Exterior view of multifamily residential building under construction in Palo Alto
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    Most mayors say market-rate housing development can boost housing affordability

    Up to 80% of U.S. mayors say their city needs to develop more multifamily housing, a Boston University survey found. Support for zoning and permitting reform was more muted, however.

  • A young person in a red-stripe shirt looks down at her smartphone while standing on an island platform in a wide road.
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    It’s the most dangerous part of a transit bus trip. These experts have ideas to make it safer.

    A report from the Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety recommends ways to reduce pedestrian crashes at or near bus stops.

  • EPA proposes weakening power plant coal ash protections

    EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin framed the proposal as “commonsense changes,” but environmental advocates say it threatens drinking water.

  • Hand holding a mobile phone with image of a credit card that says Bill Payment and has a red Pay button.
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    How AI is rewiring utility billing in Panama City, Florida

    The city replaced a disconnected legacy system with an AI-enabled platform, accelerating payment posting, improving data access and trimming paper costs by 25%, it says.

  • Aerial view of a large, low round stadium structure with a point at one end. Homes surround the stadium in the background.
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    johnemac72 via Getty Images
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    How cities can prepare to overcome FIFA World Cup transportation hurdles

    Three transit experts offer recommendations for public transit, traffic congestion and coordinating with law enforcement officials.

  • The Seattle skyline, featuring the Space Needle and skyscrapers.
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    3 city AI policies to watch

    Local governments are increasingly interested in using artificial intelligence to boost efficiency. These cities have established policies.

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    Affordable housing standard evolves from sustainability to resilience

    Updated Enterprise Green Communities Criteria focus on extreme heat, wildfire, flooding and power outages, treating climate risk as a core housing responsibility.

    Updated April 10, 2026
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    Court narrows New Jersey’s case against RealPage in rent-setting suit

    A federal judge partially dismissed claims against the rental software provider and several major landlords in a suit that alleges collusion to raise rent prices.

  • A gloved hand holds a test tube with yellowish water reflected in a body of still water.
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    The EPA wants to test for microplastics in drinking water. Here’s what that means for cities.

    Microplastics pose risks that science and monitoring tools aren’t equipped to fully capture, which could produce “uninformative and potentially misleading” results, an expert says. 

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    Single-staircase reform proposed in California

    Reducing the number of staircases smaller multifamily buildings require could unlock more housing, advocates say, but a state fire marshal report urges caution.

  • 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’s permit to provide public rides in New York City expired March 31, but the company continues to expand in other U.S. cities.  

    Updated April 8, 2026
  • An engineer repairs an electricity pole as smoke billows after overnight airstrikes on oil depots on March 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.
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    Majid Saeedi/Getty Image via Getty Images
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    Energy authority is ‘actively monitoring the grid’ following Iran-linked cyber threat

    Hackers have disrupted critical U.S. infrastructure by targeting programmable logic controllers, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned.

  • President Donald Trump walks while adjusting his tie.
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    Nathan Howard via Getty Images
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    Trump budget proposal once again targets affordable housing, homeless assistance

    Elimination of the HOME Investment Partnerships and Community Development Block Grant programs would be part of the 13% cut in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s discretionary budget.

  • A silver subway train with its doors open to an empty platform.
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    Courtesy of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
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    Los Angeles to open subway extension May 8

    The nearly 4-mile extension is the first of three that will provide a through ride from downtown Los Angeles to Beverly Hills by 2027.

  • A person wearing a red shirt carries a bronze bust on their shoulder next to a ladder while another person looks on.
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    Michael Ciaglo via Getty Images
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    Cities’ moves to rename Chavez landmarks can be complex and costly

    Local governments are fast-tracking the renaming of Cesar Chavez parks, schools and streets, but those symbolic decisions can carry significant price tags.