The Latest
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Pittsburgh summer program aims to retain young professionals
Competition for talent has become even more pronounced during the pandemic as remote work proliferated, giving employees greater flexibility in where they live.
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Low-carbon concrete bill advances in New York
The bill takes aim at the emissions-heavy built environment by developing state guidelines for using greener concrete products and climate performance standards for state construction projects.
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3 takeaways from NLC's 'State of the Cities' report
Mayors nationwide are prioritizing investing in infrastructure, but they remain concerned about budget shortfalls after the coronavirus pandemic even with federal help on the way.
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Houston to Fort Worth route poised for autonomous truck pilot
J.B. Hunt and Waymo plan to test autonomous Class 8 trucks hauling freight between the Texas cities along Interstate 45, as many driverless operations focus on middle mile routes.
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Dallas adopts its first urban forest master plan
The plan follows an earlier heat island management study that found the nation's ninth-most-populous city was heating up more rapidly than every other city in the U.S. outside of Phoenix.
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LA moves closer to offering zero-fare transit
If approved, L.A. Metro's $321 million zero-fare pilot for students and low-income riders would join other U.S. cities exploring similar programs following the pandemic.
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Valadi, Sam. (2012). "Empire State - New York City" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
NYC, San Francisco among top 10 global cities with highest pandemic construction costs
Construction should benefit from its strong position coming out of the pandemic, according to the Arcadis 2021 International Construction Cost Index.
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NYC bill would have single agency lead smart city tech implementation
The legislation would bring together oversight of a variety of "smart" tech, including streetlights, trash and recycling receptacles, and water, power and gas meters.
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EPA, USDA select 13 sites to help build community-led food systems
The Local Foods, Local Places program aims to rejuvenate economically blighted areas, with revitalization plans including the creation of community gardens and converting a transit bus into a mobile farmers market.
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Transit funding a flashpoint in surface transportation debate
Should the U.S. government fund more public transportation or less? FAST Act reauthorization proposals take opposing positions on the issue.
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Permission granted by Jason Plautz
E-scooter fees help fund protected bike lanes in downtown Miami
Miami will add about three miles of protected micromobility lanes on busy downtown corridors as part of a $2 million program, partially funded by the city's micromobility fund.
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Steffi Loos via Getty Images
Seattle-area county say it's first US county to pass facial recognition ban
Tech hub King County, Washington, has joined a growing number of jurisdictions in restricting government use of the software, as additional city, state and federal policies move through legislatures.
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Cities consider taking police out of traffic stops
Localities like Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, and Berkeley, California, are re-imagining traffic enforcement amid national calls for police reform.
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Chicago building decarbonization working group to apply equity lens
As the city strives to power all buildings with renewable energy by 2035, it's not just about reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also about "prioritizing the health of people in the buildings," said Chicago's chief sustainability officer.
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Permission granted by EcoPact
Baltimore contractor pilots low-carbon concrete product
The new concrete formulation is designed to cut the material's embodied carbon by 40% compared to ordinary Portland cement-based concrete, the maker says.
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Courtesy of Qualcomm
Atlanta suburb deploys new tech to tame traffic
Peachtree Corners, Georgia, will use cellular vehicle-to-everything technology to help improve safety and alleviate "one of the biggest headaches" residents face every day.
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Nevada passes clean energy bill requiring state to join RTO, accelerating $2B transmission project
The bill also requires utilities to forecast a path to achieve an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2005 levels by the end of the decade.
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Tampa, Florida, creates resilience plan to prepare for next crisis
The road map, which officials say is the first to be released during or after the coronavirus pandemic, calls for more affordable housing and broadband access in addition to climate-ready infrastructure.
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PG&E, BMW smart-charging pilot highlights potential for EVs as grid resource
Aligning electric vehicle charging loads with renewable energy can help cut greenhouse gas emissions, efficiently manage the grid and save customers money, according to data from a Northern California study.
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Scott Olson via Getty Images
Chicago and other cities support outdoor dining expansions even as pandemic wanes
Expanded outdoor dining has been "a critical lifeline" for restaurants. As some cities aim to extend the changes or make them permanent, Chicago is awarding $2.3 million in grants for those and other community outdoor spaces.
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Biden proposes more than $2B for clean energy infrastructure, $14B+ increase in climate spending
The administration's first proposed budget includes sizable increases in spending for climate mitigation, research, EVs and clean energy infrastructure.
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Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
Republicans include $4B for EVs in 2nd counteroffer to Biden infrastructure plan
The Republicans' proposal would spend $928 billion on infrastructure over the next eight years, a $360 billion increase over their previous proposal. But EV advocates say the plan still falls short.
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Lower-income ZIP code residents feel worse effects of extreme heat, ozone pollution: study
Policymakers should prioritize resources in poorer neighborhoods and develop better warning systems, according to a study analyzing hospitalizations across ZIP codes in California.
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With more extreme weather on horizon, FEMA resilience program's dollars to double
The Biden administration's $1 billion injection for the nascent Pre-Disaster Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program comes as national leaders aim to "categorically shift" disaster spending from reactive to proactive.
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Mario Tama via Getty Images
A $10B federal proposal to improve transit station accessibility
According to recent data, 20% of U.S. transit stations are not fully accessible. The All Stations Accessibility Program Act of 2021 aims to support upgrades at stations to meet or exceed Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
