The Latest
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Irina Brester via Getty Images
Bracing for rising seas, a Hawai’i county makes builders prep for year 2100
Kaua’i County is one of the nation’s first to base construction regulations on projected sea-level rise. A planning official explains how others could follow suit.
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Mario Tama/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
NYSE suspends trading of Bird Global stock
The micromobility company has struggled since going public in late 2021, but Bird’s interim CEO says the delisting won’t affect its commitment to the cities it works with.
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Megan Quinn/Smart Cities Dive
Local governments share curbside composting program lessons
Local governments that have recently launched curbside organics collection programs in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., say communication with residents and vendors can smooth out early-stage kinks.
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Courtesy of Brightline
Florida’s Brightline kicks off passenger rail service to Orlando
The 235-mile intercity line connects Miami and other South Florida cities to the resort destination. Orlando’s mayor called the privately owned service “a transformational step forward.”
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Permission granted by Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit
In the Bronx, a battle over bus lanes
New York City decided last week not to go forward with a proposed busway that would restrict access for private vehicles on a busy road.
Updated Sept. 25, 2023 -
OlegAlbinsky via Getty Images
NY sets first-in-the-nation concrete emissions limits for state agencies
Set for January 2025, the state’s Buy Clean Concrete rules establishing greenhouse gas emission limits will cover all agency projects.
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Courtesy of Amtrak
Amtrak to triple infrastructure investment over two years
With funding from the 2021 infrastructure law, Amtrak plans major work on bridges, tunnels and other projects.
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DenisTangneyJr via Getty Images
Boston launches pilot to help small housing owners go electric
Two- to four-unit buildings are the city’s most common building type. Boston hopes the new grant program will yield lessons on scaling up building decarbonization.
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Sean Gallup via Getty Images
White House launches clean energy youth workforce program amid labor shortage concerns
The American Climate Corps aims to put more than 20,000 people to work in its first year. The plan “harkens back” to the New Deal, said International District Energy Association CEO Rob Thornton.
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baranozdemir via Getty Images
$4.6B for climate action plan implementation available from EPA
Measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions the most will get priority in Environmental Protection Agency funding decisions.
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Retrieved from House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Buttigieg grilled over rollout of infrastructure funds by House committee
Some Republican committee members questioned the pace of funding and its climate and equity aims while Democrats were largely supportive of the Biden administration's goals.
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Permission granted by Schneider Electric
Retrofits can cut office building emissions by up to 70%: Schneider Electric
New research from the company says its digital building and power-management tools can slash up to 42% of operational carbon emissions, while eliminating fossil fuels can cut an additional 28%.
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Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bloomberg Philanthropies via Getty Images
Local leaders to have formal role in COP28 for the first time
"For the world to tackle climate change effectively, mayors and governors need a bigger seat at the table,” said UN special envoy Michael Bloomberg.
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Courtesy of Bird
Bird acquires Spin in $19M deal
The acquisition makes Bird the largest micromobility operator in North America by market share as the industry faces financial headwinds.
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Retrieved from YouTube on September 13, 2023
Airbnb’s marketing touts short-term rental benefits as local restrictions tighten
Restrictions such as New York’s Local Law 18 may have a greater impact on the city’s residents and tourism economy than on the company.
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THEPALMER via Getty Images
New Orleans adds AI technology to improve traffic safety around streetcar lines
Smart sensors from NoTraffic will be part of a traffic monitoring system powered by artificial intelligence in a partnership between local authorities and the private sector.
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(2016). Retrieved from Baltimore Department of Public Works.
Deep DiveBaltimore faces expensive road ahead for waste infrastructure
Despite pressure from advocacy groups, the city's 10-year waste plan anticipates landfill and incineration will continue to serve a key role as the city works to increase recycling.
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Schroeder, Dennis. (2023). [Photograph]. Retrieved from U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
NREL tool models how building upgrades can reduce energy use, carbon emissions
Before the federal research center released its free, publicly available data, options for representing buildings’ energy use were limited and expensive, an NREL researcher said.
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Spencer Platt/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
NYC Council approves safety-focused e-bike and e-scooter trade-in program
The program would help owners upgrade to electric bikes and e-scooters that meet UL certification requirements set by a New York City law that took effect Sept. 16.
Updated Sept. 21, 2023 -
Brandon Bell/Getty Images via Getty Images
10 stories from the Earth’s hottest summer on record
Cities are testing a myriad of strategies, from “smart surfaces” to chief heat officers, to protect residents and infrastructure from extreme heat.
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sl-f via Getty Images
To improve multifamily housing energy efficiency and resiliency, HUD offers $4.8B for retrofits
The first round of the $4.8 billion GRRP covers upgrades for 28 rent-assisted properties.
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Retrieved from USDA Forest Service.
Forest Service unveils 385 urban forestry projects to get over $1B in grants
The Inflation Reduction Act bolstered the program's funding to more than 27 times its 2022 appropriation. Explore which states received the largest investments with our map.
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Permission granted by Philadelphia Office of Innovation and Technology
Philadelphia’s smart cities team reflects at the 4-year mark
Its Smart Cities Roadmap looks for public-private partnerships to inject technology solutions throughout city departments. City leaders talk about the team’s accomplishments and next steps.
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Michael Ciaglo via Getty Images
Building codes aren’t climate ready, but changes are coming
Risk is growing from flooding and wildfires, said National Institute of Building Sciences panelists, and builders are relying on outdated guidance.
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georgeclerk via Getty Images
Curb-management innovations: Lessons from smart and zero-emission loading zone pilots
Local business pushback, regulatory barriers and other challenges face cities testing ways to create more orderly curb traffic.
