The Latest

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    Octavio Jones via Getty Images
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    FEMA Review Council pushes disaster responsibility to cities, states

    The council’s final report recommends streamlining aid programs, accelerating funding delivery and giving local governments greater operational and financial obligation for emergency management.

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    Permission granted by GAF
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    Sponsored by GAF

    Meeting the demand for resilient construction

    GAF, in alliance with IBHS, has trained 1,100+ roofing professionals to install FORTIFIED™ roofs, helping communities meet growing demand for resilient homes.

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    Getty Images
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    Public-sector AI translation has saved taxpayers more than $30 million, Wordly says

    In San José, California, translation costs have dropped by nearly 80% and resident participation at public meetings has increased since the city began using the service, a city clerk said.

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    Cole Rosengren/Smart Cities Dive
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    Providence, Rhode Island, updates recycling, organics with $3.6M in grants

    Free commercial recycling service, residential recycling carts and organics infrastructure are among the changes the city has made with the help of EPA and USDA funding.

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    Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    HUD continues shift away from ‘housing first,’ harm reduction in homelessness funding

    Transitional housing, childcare, job training and addiction treatment are priorities for its Continuum of Care funding opportunity to be published June 1.

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    Getty Images
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    ‘Supplemental’ municipal utility begins solar-and-storage installations in Ann Arbor, Michigan

    The Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility will use locally sited solar, batteries and other resources to improve reliability and lower costs for subscribers, city officials say.

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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Governments should help finance infrastructure — not construct and run it

    When delays and cost escalations carry no financial consequence, they become routine. To prevent this, project governance structures must align capital with performance.

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    krblokhin via Getty Images
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    Surface transportation legislation in 2026: What we know so far

    Congress has begun work that will determine the next five years of funding and policies for highways, mass transit and other transportation modes.

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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    DOJ sues Minnesota to block climate lawsuit against oil companies

    Only the federal government can regulate greenhouse gas emissions, the suit argues, escalating a legal fight over whether state and local governments can pursue damages tied to climate change.

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    Getty Images
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    AI procurement tool evaluates local government contract solicitations before they’re sent

    More than 60% of public agencies receive an average of only two to five bids per solicitation, according to Euna Solutions. Its AI Solicitation Advisor aims to help bolster those numbers.

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    Permission granted by Jean Schwarzwalder/NYC Environmental Protection
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    Meet the 2026 Smart Cities Dive Public Service Award winners

    Read about the local government leaders in Florida, New York and Texas being honored for how they’re driving local impact.

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    Getty Images
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    State CISOs are losing confidence in their ability to secure public-sector data, study finds

    Third-party security breaches, phishing and AI-enabled attacks are where they anticipate the largest cyberthreat risk in the coming year, a NASCIO-Deloitte survey found.

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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    7 ways cities are hardwiring climate action

    Embedding climate into procurement, zoning and infrastructure decisions while reframing it as a quality-of-life issue is unlocking support for resilience in Cleveland, Miami and Boise, Idaho.

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    CrailsheimStudio via Getty Images
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    How cities and transit agencies are preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

    An influx of out-of-town and international visitors creates challenges to keeping transit systems and roadways running smoothly.

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    Affordable housing development is boosting Oklahoma’s economy: report

    Every dollar in tax credit equity across 45 multifamily housing projects is yielding higher economic returns in the state, an Urban Institute study found.

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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Public buildings can power community resilience

    Sustainability strategies are also the foundation of resilient design, which prepares public buildings to serve as lifelines when disaster strikes.

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    Permission granted by Voltpost
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    Washington, D.C., grants over $600,000 for EV charging stations

    The D.C. Department of Energy and Environment is splitting the grants among three companies, including one that retrofits them into existing infrastructure and was previously awarded IIJA grants.

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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    Mayors look to shape AI policy — and the technology itself — in new coalition

    “Local governments must set the frameworks to shape the use and impacts of these technologies,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a member of the global Mayors AI Forum.

  • A Volkswagen van lettered for "Beep" and "Moia" parked in front of a multicolor windowless building.
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    Courtesy of Beep/Moia America
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    Autonomous VW buses to begin microtransit service in Florida community

    Beep and Moia plan to expand on-demand and scheduled circulator services throughout the country, Beep’s CEO said.

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    Getty Images
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    Who should decide budgets? Some cities are starting to share the power.

    Participatory budgeting is reshaping how funds are allocated, bringing residents into decisions that elected officials and staff traditionally controlled, an expert says.

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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    How transit agencies can hire and keep front-line workers

    An Urban Institute researcher predicts that “under current trends, the cost of service will go up over time.”

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    Permission granted by Jean Schwarzwalder/NYC Environmental Protection
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    This New York City leader unlocked a century of data, turning paper files into actionable intelligence

    Smart Cities Dive Public Service Award winner Janet Aristy is modernizing New York City's infrastructure systems while empowering the next generation of public servants.

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    Permission granted by El Paso County, Texas
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    Leading with ‘grace and grit’ in a binational border county

    Smart Cities Dive Public Service Award winner Betsy Keller has brought strategic planning, building modernization and a push to “make it about the people” to El Paso County, Texas.

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    Retrieved from Nicole Nabers/X.
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    Fort Walton Beach, Florida’s finance director brings fiscal discipline after a period of scandal

    After a period of scandal and staff turnover, Smart Cities Dive Public Service Award winner Nicole Nabors is rebuilding trust through technology and transparency.

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    Getty Images
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    Housing energy efficiency requirements rescinded by HUD, USDA

    The 2021 International Energy Conservation Code added $20,000 to the cost of new home construction, according to Trump administration estimates.

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    Scott Eisen via Getty Images
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    Boston’s climate plan focuses on local execution, accountability as federal support shrinks

    The city is using dashboards, pilots and partnerships to cut emissions, build resilience at the neighborhood level and “bring more happiness and justice” to Bostonians.