The Latest

  • A shift to remote work has softened the demand for office space, accelerating the need for commercial-to-residential conversions.
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    Fang Xia Nuo via Getty Images
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    Office-to-residential conversions are tough. Could dorm-style co-living be the answer?

    Microapartments with shared bathrooms and kitchens could suit service workers, retirees and young professionals and cost 25% to 35% less than converting offices to traditional apartments, Pew and Gensler researchers said.

  • A smiling person at a podium speaking to an audience.
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    Dan Zukowski/Smart Cities Dive
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    Massachusetts investing in commuter rail to relieve traffic congestion

    “Our roads are at a standstill,” the state’s transportation secretary said at a conference last week, detailing how the state is making passenger rail a priority.

  • A creative image depicting empty voting booths on election day.
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    adamkaz / iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
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    13 multifamily housing-related ballot measures to watch in November

    While California’s proposition to remove limits on local rent control has attracted national headlines, other jurisdictions also have initiatives focused on addressing housing challenges.

  • People board a bus at a with a yellow taxi driving by.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Transportation costs soared in major US cities over the past 10 years

    Inflation was the leading driver of higher transportation costs in 10 major cities, according to the New York state comptroller. The average household spent over $12,700 on transportation in the 2022-2023 period.

  • A person in a suit stands at a podium with a microphone. Behind him are flags and three people wearing face masks.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Communities could lose unspent ARPA funds in December if they don’t do this

    Governments generally must “obligate” the funds, which requires more than passing a budget or earmarking them for use.

  • Close-up photograph of a dumpster with a sign that says "food waste"
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    Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. (2008). [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
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    Food waste responsible for 14% of US methane emissions, report finds

    The top solution for addressing food waste-related methane is centralized composting, says a report issued by ReFED with the support of the Global Methane Hub.

  • A street lined with trees, cars and manufactured homes
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    eyecrave productions via Getty Images
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    What does it take to decarbonize a manufactured home community?

    A community-scale retrofit project in Colorado offers a path toward lowering power bills for a population that faces high levels of energy insecurity.

  • Passengers with luggage standing by buses under a shed.
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    Tim Boyle via Getty Images
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    Intercity bus operators won’t be forced out of Chicago’s main bus terminal just yet

    As the owner of Chicago’s bus station gears up to sell the site, FlixBus and Greyhound have found a stopgap allowing them to continue using the terminal.

    Updated Oct. 23, 2024
  • Aerial view of skyscraper buildings in San Francisco financial district during dusk
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    simonkr via Getty Images
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    San Francisco’s ban on rent-setting software takes effect

    The software allows residential landlords to indirectly coordinate, raising rents, lowering occupancy rates and increasing evictions, lawmakers say. Similar bans are under consideration in San Diego and Philadelphia.

  • A water body surrounded by trees and green space with tall buildings in the background.
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    demerzel21 via Getty Images
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    13 green infrastructure projects get $60M across New York

    The devastation wrought by Hurricanes Helene and Milton is a reminder of how urgent resilience investments are, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday.

  • Rendering of an aerial view showing new development opportunities at a train station.
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    Courtesy of Maryland Department of Transportation
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    Maryland DOT plans transit-oriented development along commuter rail line

    The plan seeks to add 2,600 new housing units while increasing transit use and reducing traffic congestion.

  • A red Cadillac Lyriq in a garage plugged into a GM Energy residential charger.
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    Courtesy of General Motors
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    EV owners can store more energy from the grid with GM Energy’s new ‘PowerBank’

    The stationary energy storage unit can provide power to a home during an outage or help offset higher electricity rates during peak times. 

  • A blue 40-foot transit bus lettered as "Battery Electric" on a multi-lane road with blurred skyscrapers in the background.
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    Courtesy of Proterra
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    Proterra electric buses recalled for potential fire issue

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a recall affecting about 483 Proterra buses. Phoenix Motorcars, which acquired Proterra's transit bus division, will provide a free remedy for vehicle owners.

  • A person walks into a building with a sign out front that says "This is a no smoking area."
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Platform compiles ‘proven solutions’ to urban challenges, from air pollution to homelessness

    Bloomberg Philanthropies' Cities Idea Exchange added programs and policies that it says have a track record of stoking stakeholder interest and attracting investment.

  • One of Serve Robotics next generation robots
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    Courtesy of Serve Robotics
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    Serve Robotics debuts faster, larger delivery robots to be deployed in 2 cities

    The sidewalk robots, which are outfitted with new safety measures, will hit the streets in coming months as part of Serve's deal with Uber Eats.

  • A bus driver wearing a mask seen through the driver's side window.
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    Cindy Ord via Getty Images
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    Transit agencies document equity efforts in APTA report

    Hiring dedicated equity executives, requiring analyses prior to system changes and partnering on services for those experiencing homelessness are among the efforts named in the American Public Transportation Association report.

  • Plants grow in a garden. Irrigation lines run along the ground next to the plants.
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    Aaron Hawkins via Getty Images
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    Urban agriculture gets $9M boost from USDA

    Local groups in 10 cities are getting funds to connect urban food producers to federal services.

  • four blue recycling carts stand next to each other
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    Thomas Demarczyk via Getty Images
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    How local zero-waste efforts can benefit from state resources

    Massachusetts and Colorado are helping municipalities leverage funding and technical assistance that may not often be accessible to smaller communities, said speakers at the National Zero Waste Conference.

  • Several bicycles at a docking station on a street.
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    Dan Zukowski/Smart Cities Dive
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    9 bike-friendly laws signed by California governor

    Bicycle advocates cheered laws that spur bike and pedestrian infrastructure construction, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two bills that advocates hoped would rein in driver speeding.

  • An eviction notice posted on the front door of a home.
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    Vyacheslav Dumchev/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Eviction data is lacking. Here’s how local governments can help.

    Local leaders need to understand the magnitude of the housing crisis in their area to act on it, a Princeton Eviction Lab representative says.

  • A close-up of an Uber app.
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    Matthew Horwood/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Uber spurs electric vehicle use with pop-ups in 4 cities, new features

    An AI-powered virtual assistant for EV-curious drivers is among the ride-share giant’s expanded green product suite.

  • Side view of a two-door car parked at night with people sitting at tables on the sidewalk.
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    Courtesy of Tesla Motors
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    Tesla promises driverless robotaxi by 2027

    CEO Elon Musk also announced that fully autonomous versions of Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y vehicles would begin driverless tests in California and Texas next year.

  • Vegetation on the roof of a bus shelter. On the street below is a transit bus.
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    Retrieved from City of Boston.
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    Green roofs on bus shelters are Boston’s latest climate resilience move

    It's the nation’s largest single installation of green roofs on bus shelters, the city says. It hopes the infrastructure will ease stress on Boston’s aging drainage system.

  • Sustainable glass office building with trees for reducing carbon dioxide.
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    Fahroni via Getty Images
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    How to address a key building decarbonization barrier: the ‘split incentive gap’

    While landlords and developers foot the bill for efficiency upgrades, tenants benefit from lower energy costs. A Sustainable Markets Initiative road map outlines policies and other ways to address the mismatch.

  • Aerial shot of people inside a large indoor space. People sit on folding chairs and lay on mats on the floor.
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    Nathan Howard via Getty Images
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    Gas utility faces climate deception lawsuit by Oregon county

    It's the first time a U.S. community has sued a gas utility for allegedly deceiving the public about the climate impacts of fossil fuels, advocates say.