The Latest

  • Shared bikes parked at bike station.
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    NickyLloyd/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

    Shared micromobility ridership nearly doubled in 2021: report

    Station-based shared bike use declined less and recovered more than dockless bikes. Shared micromobility ridership has grown even as prices have risen “substantially” since 2018, the report says.

  • High angle view of three people with helmets working on a construction site,
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    iStock/vm

    Sponsored by Schneider Electric

    How smart cities are taking action on natural disaster resiliency

    How to maximize funding to create resiliency and protect your residents from extreme weather.

  • Aerial view of residential households in an American suburb
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    Ryan Herron via Getty Images

    Owning a home costs 35% more than renting in high-growth cities: report

    The price gap between rentals and homeownership will be most apparent in high-growth cities such as Denver, Phoenix, Nashville, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Tampa and areas with concentrated tech employment, including the West Coast, according to a new report. 

  • View of downtown Houston during sunset on a clear day with townhouses on the foreground. Viewed from Washington Avenue area.
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    pabst_ell via Getty Images
    Deep Dive

    Houston’s housing-first model is reducing homelessness. Here’s how it works and the obstacles it faces.

    Over 90% housed under Houston’s housing-first program have remained housed for over two years, city officials say. But further progress is challenged by a housing shortage and other factors.

  • Close-up under the hood of a future Honda vehicle, with a large gray component marked "Fuel Cell."
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    Courtesy of Honda

    3 technologies that could make EVs go farther

    Greater range could spur more EV adoption, with implications for charging infrastructure.

  • A man in a hardhat drives in a small utility vehicle with a yellow train with American flag in the background
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images

    Biden signs legislation preventing rail strike, lockout

    The law should help avert disruption to travelers and commuters during the holiday season.

  • A man riding an e-bike in a city.
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    halbergman/E+ via Getty Images

    Oregon to consider e-bike rebate program in 2023

    Only purchases from authorized in-state retailers would be eligible for rebates, and rebate recipients would need to own their e-bikes “for at least one year after receiving the rebate,” according to the bill.

  • Crowds of people walking through a busy crosswalk at the intersection of 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City..
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    deberarr via Getty Images

    Smart cities in 2022 - what you need to know

    Rail expansion, emerging technologies such as digital twins and air taxis and new approaches to transit and housing have driven the news this year. Catch up with highlights from Smart Cities Dive.

  • A computer science lecture with computer code on the presentation slides.
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    gorodenkoff/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
    The tech worker shortage

    Hidden assets: With reskilling programs, cities are turning existing employees into tech workers

    City employees’ eagerness to learn technology skills and take on new roles has far exceeded expectations, say tech managers that have offered reskilling programs.

  • A view of the Miami skyline with tall buildings and a modern passenger train emerging from an elevated station.
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    Courtesy of Brightline

    High-speed rail line from LA to Las Vegas could begin construction in 2023

    Brightline West could become the first privately funded and operated 180-mph intercity train in the U.S.

  • Freight rail cars carrying lumber sit on rail tracks
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images

    Senate sends bill avoiding rail shutdown to Biden’s desk

    The divided chamber shot down an amendment to give workers seven days of paid sick leave.

  • A parking corral for dockless scooters.
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    Permission granted by City of Pensacola, Florida

    E-scooter parking ‘corrals’ are coming to this Florida city

    Pensacola, Florida, adopted the policy based on community feedback from the city’s micromobility pilot program, aiming to “reduce parking conflicts with pedestrians on sidewalks,” according to a city spokesperson.

  • A sleek blue and white Amtrak Acela high-speed train is seen passing a station with a green canopy and overhead wires.
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    Courtesy of Amtrak

    Amtrak gets $4.3B to improve intercity passenger rail network

    As ridership for Amtrak intercity passenger rail slowly returns, the railroad plans to modernize trains and stations.

  • Buildings in Bethesda, Maryland.
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    DenisTangneyJr via Getty Images

    DC-area county spurs electrification of future buildings

    Montgomery County, Maryland, is taking aim at its largest source of emissions. Its policy is the latest advancement for building decarbonization on the East Coast.

  • Signs with messages such as "Yes to Rail Unions! No to capitalist politicians!" is seen in front of the U.S. Capitol
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images

    House passes bills to avert US rail shutdown, add paid sick leave

    The vote comes just two days after President Joe Biden urged congressional intervention, warning “a rail shutdown would devastate our economy.”

  • Compost, recycling and garbage carts set outside of the home on the curb for residential garbage and recycling pickup.
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    Michael Vi via Getty Images

    A history of US cities adopting zero waste goals

    The concept has become a mainstream part of municipal waste planning, experts say, even as targets largely remain aspirational and some recent efforts have faced pandemic-related setbacks.

  • Exterior view of multifamily residential building under construction in Palo Alto
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    Sundry Photography via Getty Images

    Housing tax credit bill gains bipartisan support in Congress

    The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, which aims to produce 500,000 starter homes over the next decade, has garnered the support of 124 congressional lawmakers.

  • Several people wearing masks are entering and leaving a silver subway train at an underground station in New York City.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images

    New York transit riders may face steep fare increases, service cuts: state comptroller

    With ridership stuck well below pre-pandemic levels, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority could struggle to maintain service without steep fare hikes.

  • Digital data flow on road with motion blur to create vision of fast speed transfer.
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    NanoStockk/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

    9 startups to join AWS’ Sustainable Cities Accelerator for Infrastructure

    Each accelerator participant aims to address infrastructure-related sustainability challenges by offering products and services targeting power, utility, transportation and other systems.

  • San Francisco skyline at night
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    iStock/Getty via Getty Images

    Five US cities target building energy use, emissions with fines

    New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Boston and St. Louis are poised to implement penalties to curb building-level greenhouse gas emissions or energy use.

  • Homeless outreach coordinators at an encampment in Houston.
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    Permission granted by SEARCH, Harris Health and the Coalition for the Homeless

    How Houston’s homeless strategy became a model for other US cities

    Over the course of a decade, Houston reduced its alarmingly high homeless population by 63%. Now, other major cities are reaching out for guidance.

  • A man installs WiFi network equipment on a building's roof.
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    Permission granted by Spread Networks

    How Shreveport, Louisiana, used blockchain technology to build a low-cost public WiFi network

    The city has spent about $500,000 on its public WiFi network, a cost that would have ballooned had it partnered with a traditional internet service provider, said the city’s chief technology officer.

  • An older adult walking in an alleyway.
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    theprint/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

    California unveils 7 guaranteed income pilot projects

    Aiming to support basic needs, the California Guaranteed Income Pilot Program will provide regular, unconditional cash payments to nearly 2,000 pregnant people and former foster youth.

  • A Revel brand moped parked on a residential street, June 18, 2019, in Brooklyn, New York.
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    Drew Angerer via Getty Images

    Shared e-moped markets are growing — but not in the US. Why not?

    New York and San Francisco are the remaining U.S. cities with shared e-mopeds. Deployment costs, barriers to use and U.S. car culture are blamed for the mode’s weak performance.

  • Public transportation bus in New York in Manhattan, New York
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    THEPALMER/iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

    Labor shortages hinder public transit rebound: APTA report

    Creative benefits and improved hiring processes, safety, scheduling and growth opportunities are among ways transit agencies can help address labor shortages and recruit new employees, experts say. 

  • An illustration showing a black electric vertical takeoff or landing aircraft lettered "Vertical" on a runway, in a left rear three-quarter view.
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    Courtesy of Vertical Aerospace

    FAA to lay out air taxi plans by May

    The Federal Aviation Administration’s acting administrator said the agency will present implementation plans for eVTOL or air taxi operations by May 2023.