The Latest

  • White vans pass a sign that reads, "Begin Toll Zone" and "Road Narrows."
    Image attribution tooltip
    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Trump seeks to kill NY congestion pricing program

    President Donald Trump told the New York Post he's had at least two phone calls with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul about killing the controversial tolling program in Manhattan.

    Updated Feb. 12, 2025
  • A man looks into a large computer screen displaying an artificial intelligence chatbot application.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Laurence Dutton via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    4 ways local governments are harnessing AI to transform operations

    The technology could improve municipal efficiency, accuracy, and service delivery — but implementation must address community and public-sector worker concerns.

  • Ionna rechargery apex north carolina
    Image attribution tooltip

    Provided by Hyundai Motor America

    Image attribution tooltip

    Ionna moves forward with EV charging network

    The automaker-led joint venture remains committed to rolling out public charging infrastructure, despite the suspension of government funding.

  • Silhouette of a man crossing a dark street.
    Image attribution tooltip
    timnewman via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Pedestrian deaths highest on dark city roads at night: AAA report

    Crashes involving pedestrians were also disproportionately higher in socially and economically disadvantaged communities in the cities it studied, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found.

  • A white stone and glass building with cars parked at the bottom.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Google Maps

    Image attribution tooltip

    Top cities for apartment conversions

    The office-to-multifamily pipeline has grown by 28% over the past year, according to a new report.

  • The skyline of Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood at sunset.
    Image attribution tooltip
    chrisp0 via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    New York loans Revel $60M to expand NYC public EV charging

    The financial arrangement is “an important and replicable precedent” to accelerate electric vehicle charging, NY Green Bank President Andrew Kessler said.

  • Wood row homes amid tightly packed taller brick apartment buildings.
    Image attribution tooltip
    peeterv via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How 4 cities are advancing affordable housing despite NIMBYs

    Public engagement and policies that cut through red tape are among the tools city leaders use to overcome neighborhood opposition.

  • Image of a dusty road.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Hal Bergman via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    DOT suspends Biden’s $5B electric vehicle charging network effort

    Most of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funds have already been awarded to states, however, and some observers say the Trump administration cannot end the program with just a memo.

  • Six construction workers stand on rebar along a viaduct.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority
    Image attribution tooltip

    California high-speed rail project faces $6.5B shortfall, possible federal investigation

    The California Office of the Inspector General warned that work on the initial segment could slip behind schedule.

  • Roger Garbey (top) and Andres Hernandez, from the Goldin Solar company, install a solar panel system on the roof of a home a day after the Trump administration announced it will impose duties of as mu
    Image attribution tooltip
    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    EPA funding freeze endangers $7B Solar For All program

    “We don't know how much money got out the door, we don't know how much money the administration can seek to claw back,” said Vote Solar’s executive director, Sachu Constantine.

  • Bald man in dark suit seen from his left side standing on a dark stage.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Tristan Fewings via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Uber CEO outlines robotaxi fleet plan

    Customers in Austin, Texas, can now sign up to be one of the first riders of Uber’s autonomous vehicles when they become available in the city in March.

  • Scott Tuner, HUD secretary, testifying before Congress
    Image attribution tooltip
    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Scott Turner confirmed as HUD secretary

    Turner helped establish opportunity zones, an economic development tool, when he served in the first Trump administration.

  • An electric bike is locked to a street sign in front of a red fire truck, with caution type surrounding it
    Image attribution tooltip
    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    E-bike fire crisis won’t be tamed without federal support

    Lithium-ion battery fires are causing deadly incidents across the country. Attorney Michael Mezzacappa points to New York as an example of how cities can respond but calls for Congress to take greater action on safety standards.

  • Seated man in dark blue suit with a microphone and a many other people seated behind him.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    On housing, mayors see path forward with Trump

    “Housing should not be a partisan issue,” one mayor said during a National League of Cities housing summit. But the president’s immigration policies are a concern.

  • Nischal Newar, Shima Mohebbi and Pavithra Sripathanallur Murali made up the three-person team, spearheading the project.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by George Mason University
    Image attribution tooltip

    How Arlington County used AI to improve emergency preparedness

    The Virginia county’s Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management worked with George Mason University researchers to develop AI-enhanced video games for skills-building.

  • A Waymo autonomous vehicle passes in front of San Francisco City Hall
    Image attribution tooltip
    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    San Francisco illegally fired workers seeking COVID vaccine religious exemption, 9th Circuit says

    The record didn’t show that the City and County of San Francisco “seriously considered any religious accommodation,” according to the court.

  • Overhead view of a modern commuter train at a station with a large crowed on the platform.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of MARTA
    Image attribution tooltip

    Atlanta gets the first of 56 new electric train sets

    The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority unveiled its new trains last week. It also plans to redesign more than 100 bus routes, it said.

  • The Boston Harbor and Financial district in Boston, Massachusetts, USA at sunrise showcasing its mix of contemporary and historic buildings.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Marcio Silva via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Boston expands net-zero emissions requirements to new buildings, large additions

    The zoning change requires most new buildings to be net zero when they open. The city previously set similar performance standards for existing buildings.

  • Waymo J.D. Power mobility index
    Image attribution tooltip
    Mario Tama via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Deep Dive

    Tesla, Waymo will add more robotaxis to city streets

    A more favorable federal regulatory and legislative environment may help propel the growth of driverless ride-hailing vehicles in the United States.

  • Crowds of people walk on a city street
    Image attribution tooltip
    rarrarorro via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    2025’s top smart city conferences

    Smart city technology, housing, climate action, road safety and more will take center stage at events in 2025.

    Updated Jan. 31, 2025
  • Three people stand by U.S. flags as one raises his hand, the other on a bible.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Win McNamee via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    US DOT says it will tie funding to birth, marriage rates

    The agency issued a memo after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took the reins this week and authorized a series of actions to advance President Trump’s agenda.

  • An illustration of a high-speed train in California's Central Valley.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority
    Image attribution tooltip
    Tracker

    US high-speed rail projects: The latest news

    The high-speed rail line between Las Vegas and Southern California anticipates completing construction by the end of 2028 and beginning passenger service the following year.

    Updated Feb. 3, 2025
  • A homeless couple on the floor of a train station with two standing outreach workers wearing orange.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How cities could tackle homelessness in 2025

    U.S. cities are connecting residents to housing, but adequate funding remains an issue as rates of homelessness remain high.

  • View of the White House with flowers and fountain in front.
    Image attribution tooltip
    OlegAlbinsky via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The Smart Cities Outlook for 2025: Change is coming

    From new federal policies to growing technologies like AI and robotaxis, cities will encounter many changes while they continue to tackle housing, homelessness, climate and equity issues.

  • Lee Zeldin sits at a desk
    Image attribution tooltip
    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Zeldin is confirmed as the new EPA administrator. What’s next?

    The former New York representative will helm the agency as it navigates executive orders pausing climate programs and reviews pending regulations that could affect the waste and recycling industries.

    Updated Jan. 30, 2025