The Latest

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    Courtesy of Courtney Steger

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    Nominate someone today for the 2026 Smart Cities Dive Public Service Awards

    Submit your nominations by March 31 to recognize outstanding local leaders who are making an impact in their communities.

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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Tracker

    Robotaxis: The latest developments

    Uber and Motional partner to offer robotaxi rides in Las Vegas. Human operators will be in the driver’s seat to monitor operations for now.

    Updated March 16, 2026
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    Multifamily starts jump in January

    New apartment construction rose on a monthly and yearly basis, buoying residential building overall.

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    Bipartisan affordable housing legislation just cleared the Senate. Here’s what it could mean for cities.

    The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act does not tamper with local zoning regulations or include unfunded mandates, experts say.

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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    What is a ‘sanctuary’ city? Lawmakers still can’t agree.

    Sen. Lindsey Graham’s bill would punish local officials for not cooperating with immigration enforcement. But no consensus exists on what qualifies as a “sanctuary” jurisdiction or how many there are.

  • Traffic backed up on a highway in Chicago in 2023 with the cityscape in the distance.
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    Wirestock via Getty Images
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    How real-time data can forecast traffic flow

    StreetLight Data adds traffic forecasting to its monitoring software, helping officials respond faster to incidents.

  • A woman wearing a white hard hat labeled "MTA" in a dark tunnel.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    New York needs more time to meet climate goals, Hochul says

    “We just need some breathing room,” said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, noting high cost estimates for compliance with the 2030 goal. “My job is dealing in reality. This is the reality I have.”

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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Trump administration unveils new plan for some homeless veterans: legal guardianship

    The Department of Veterans Affairs is teaming up with the Department of Justice for the initiative, which an advocacy group calls dehumanizing. 

  • Illustration or a street with cars and a bicycle in front of a low building with a glass front and sign reading "Chicago Bus Terminal."
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    Permission granted by Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University
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    Chicago might buy its downtown intercity bus station

    Four bus lines serve the Midwest from the former Greyhound terminal. If the city doesn’t act, bus operators could lose access to the station.

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    Permission granted by Crafton Tull
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    Opinion

    The path to building connected communities

    Walkable, bikeable neighborhoods are an economic engine, a public health strategy and a blueprint for building resilient cities. Cities across the U.S. are proving they’re both achievable and scalable. 

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    Heather Diehl via Getty Images
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    HUD appeals ruling that paused its plans to cut Housing First

    The agency wants to shift away from long-term supportive housing in favor of transitional housing with work requirements and addiction treatment mandates.

  • View of Hammock Lake in Miami-Dade County.
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    Getty Images
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    Florida advances bill to bypass local zoning, allow residential development on brownfields

    The Infill Redevelopment Act would increase housing supply in the state’s denser South Florida counties.

  • A blue vehicle with a large front window and sensors mounted on the upper sides seen on a busy urban street.
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    Courtesy of Zoox
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    Zoox now testing robotaxis in 10 cities

    The Amazon subsidiary added Dallas and Phoenix and is using “hundreds of test fleet vehicles” to map U.S. cities and validate its software.

  • Futuristic white aircraft with multiple propellers flying over a coastline.
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    Courtesy of Joby Aviation
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    Where 5 air taxi pilot projects will begin this year

    The Federal Aviation Administration’s program to bring advanced air mobility to the skies will also address cargo drones and emergency medical response across 26 states.

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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    FEMA must restore $4.5B in resilience grants within weeks, judge rules

    A court order requires the agency to outline how it will reverse its termination of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program and resume grant announcements.

    Updated March 11, 2026
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    Federal funding at risk as House advances anti-sanctuary bill

    The Shut Down Sanctuary Policies Act would redirect law-enforcement funding to cities and states that cooperate with federal immigration enforcement and would allow crime victims to sue local governments.

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    James Earp

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    Top public service awards in 2026

    Officials and public servants who drive impact in their communities can get recognized for their service related to civic innovation, climate action, the arts and more. 

    Updated March 11, 2026
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    How Durham, North Carolina, kick-started affordable housing development

    A $95 million bond agreement in 2019 has led to a swell of affordable housing units in the city. More local governments are following suit.

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    Retrieved from Tampa Bay Rays on March 09, 2026
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    Tampa Bay Rays unveil plans for $2.3B ballpark, mixed-use development

    The Major League Baseball franchise has long sought a new home. Last week it published video renderings that depict a 31,000-seat venue anchoring a “walkable, retail-rich district."

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    Retrieved from Office of Governor Healey.
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    FIFA World Cup US host cities to get $100M for public transportation

    The Federal Transit Administration will offer each host city $8 million to $10 million to enhance public transportation during this summer’s events.

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    Permission granted by Nuveen
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    Nearly 40,000 ‘shovel-ready’ affordable homes in California are stuck in financial limbo, report finds

    Billions in additional state funding are needed to unlock construction for 461 approved developments, according to a new analysis by Enterprise Community Partners.

  • A crowd of rescue workers dressed in red vests and red helmets on the ground and workers dressed in yellow coats and red helmets in a blue boat on a river.
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    Jim Vondruska via Getty Images
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    Better weather forecasts, disaster reviews the goal of new federal bills

    As emergency managers warn NOAA and National Weather Service cuts threaten public safety, the proposals would further investigate major weather disasters and invest in forecasting technology.

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    Getty Images
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    2 major cities update homelessness plans to focus on permanent housing

    Both Phoenix and Oakland, California, saw increases in unsheltered homelessness in recent years.

  • View looking up toward the right-side front of a large bus, with two small cameras mounted above the front door.
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    Permission granted by Coach USA
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    360-degree cameras eliminate blind spots for intercity bus drivers

    Coach USA employed AI cameras to give their drivers a better view of their surroundings, cutting preventable accidents by 92%.

  • A person with long brown hair wearing.a white suit sits at a table with crowd sitting behind her, looking at a notebook.
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    Heather Diehl via Getty Images
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    DHS funding impasse freezes security grants, stalls local law enforcement

    The shutdown “has essentially paralyzed local operations by delaying funding and grant rollouts and by furloughing critical personnel,” a sheriffs coalition said in a letter to Congress.