The Latest

  • Several construction vehicles on an unpaved section of a highway with cars passing on the adjacent pavement.
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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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    Adobe Stock / Manpeppe

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    Sponsored by Energy Systems Group (ESG)

    What a city of 25,000 can teach others about modernizing infrastructure

    Reduced costs. Stronger services for the community. See how one city did it.

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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.

  • Procurement icons related to logistics, supply chain, and inventory management float above hands typing on a laptop.
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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.

  • Four people standing together outdoors facing the camera, two with hard hats and three with NYC environmental protection logos on their tops. Behind them are workers in hard hats and safety vests.
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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.

  • The words ddos attack are spelled out in red on a computer screen amid random blue text.
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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.

  • A person with blonde hair and glasses wearing a red dress surrounded by palm trees.
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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.

  • A soccer ball and bronze "2026" lettering in front of an American flag.
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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.

  • Tulsa skyline with a park, pond, and fountains in the foreground.
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    Getty Images
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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.

  • Person wearing mask sitting in chair with toddler in lap receives a shot from a person wearing mask and medical gown.
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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.

  • A rendering of the Voltpost Air charger retrofitted onto a utility pole.
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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.

  • Red pen on papers with financial spreadsheets and graphs.
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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.

  • Side view of a transit bus lettered "metrobus" on a street with buildings behind it.
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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.

  • A woman with glasses wearing a yellow jacket speaks into a microphone at a podium.
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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.

  • New complex of apartment buildings under construction
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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.

  • Shadowy figures walk toward a statue of a person on a horse in a snowstorm.
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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.

  • Overhead view of dozens of people crossing streets in different directions.
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    Bruce Bennett via Getty Images
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    Cities urged to apply now for safe streets and roads grants

    The U.S. Department of Transportation’s SS4A funding opportunity may be its last if the program isn’t renewed, a Stantec executive said.

  • A small, futuristic airplane with several vertical propellers flies over water with the skyline of lower Manhattan behind.
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    Courtesy of Joby Aviation
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    Joby Aviation air taxi takes flight in NYC

    The air taxi developer and the Federal Aviation Administration are demonstrating advanced air mobility in a nationwide tour.

  • A concrete building with the words "GROUNDWATER REPLENISHMENT" on it and a white tank in the background.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Water reuse is essential for economic growth, the EPA says. Experts see obstacles ahead.

    EPA’s Water Reuse Action Plan 2.0 positions recycled water as critical to industries like semiconductors and data centers, but local capacity, policy gaps and lingering stigma could complicate delivery, an expert says.

  • A rendering of a skyscraper overlooking a park in a city.
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    Courtesy of Extell
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    New York governor floats tax on high-end second homes in NYC

    New York is one of several states exploring surcharges on second homes. The proposal could generate $500 million in annual revenue in New York City, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

  • Boxes on a train zoom past a railroad crossroad
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    David McNew via Getty Images
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    $1.1B available for railroad grade-crossing safety

    The Crossing Safety Program aims to address the over 2,000 collisions and nearly 300 fatalities yearly since 2021.

  • Smoke billows from tall smokestacks on cluster of buildings.
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    Getty Images
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    Cities sue EPA for failing to uphold soot standard

    “By ignoring the legal responsibility to uphold its own rule, U.S. EPA is willfully abandoning the agency’s duties under the Clean Air Act,” California Air Resources Board Chair Lauren Sanchez said.