The Latest

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

    US high-speed rail projects: The latest news

    For California's High-Desert Corridor, HDR has received a five-year contract for design and support services.

    Updated June 30, 2025
  • Cornell University's Agricultural Experiment Station, or AgriTech, campus with greenhouses.
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    Retrieved from New York State Energy Research & Development Authority on June 26, 2025
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    New York offering up to $750K for facility decarbonization projects

    The Large-Scale Thermal program is accepting applications through July 31 for heating, cooling and hot water systems in single buildings of at least 100,000 square feet or campuses of 250,000 square feet and up.

  • Crowds of people walk on a city street
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    rarrarorro via Getty Images
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    2025’s top smart city conferences

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

    Updated June 27, 2025
  • Locomotive and passenger train at a station with many people.
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    Courtesy of Metrolink
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    LA’s six-county regional railroad to reset fares July 1

    Metrolink looks to restore ridership and revenue with simpler fares, which will cost less for most riders, the agency says.

  • Seated men in suits and one woman laughing.
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    How the ‘big beautiful bill’ could impact affordable housing construction

    Low-income housing tax credits, opportunity zones and state regulation of algorithmic rent-setting tools all face changes in the massive budget bill passed by the Senate.

  • Two bicyclists, pedestrians, cars and a red tour bus seen framed by a large tree on a sunny day.
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    RAUL RODRIGUEZ via Getty Images
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    Complete streets policy scores show gains

    With Biden administration support, small and large cities developed better policies for safer street designs, the latest report found, but future support is uncertain.

  • A Serve Robotics Robot in front of Atlanta's skyline.
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    Courtesy of Serve Robotics
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    Uber Eats, Serve Robotics roll into Atlanta

    The robotics firm will offer delivery to about 50,000 Atlanta residents as it continues expanding its partnership with Uber Eats.

  • A person wearing a uniform with Boulder Police Department seal on left arm speaks into microphones in front of screen with a seal that says "Boulder Police."
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    Chet Strange via Getty Images
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    FBI director calls for local law enforcement vigilance in ‘heightened threat environment’

    “There is no better ground-level intelligence than cops,” Kash Patel said, as the Israel-Iran conflict and recent incidents raise concerns about attacks in the U.S.

  • A line of cars parked in front of a sidewalk and houses.
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    bgwalker via Getty Images
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    Smart loading zones help cities take back the curb

    Successfully managing curb space with IoT-enabled loading zones hinges on enforcement, communication and coordination with all stakeholders.

  • An empty office in a downtown in the process of a conversion.
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    JuliaMag via Getty Images
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    Office conversions accelerate, but many older buildings face demolition: reports

    Residential conversions are helping address housing shortages in some communities, but high costs and incompatible structural designs remain challenges.

  • A person wearing a black hat, a black face mask, a vest that says ERO and a gun in a hip holster looks through an open doorway.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Why some cities are bucking state sanctuary laws

    “Non-sanctuary” resolutions signal growing tension between local control, state policy and federal immigration enforcement. Are these meaningful assertions of self-rule, political theater — or both?

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    Chris Hondros/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Summer power bills are going up, federal government warns

    Consumers will see a “slight increase” in power bills this summer, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said Monday. But that analysis is based on expectations for cooler weather.

  • Silhouette of a man riding a bike under the Brooklyn Bridge.
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    Eduardo Munoz Alvarez via Getty Images
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    US cities got better for biking: 2025 report

    The nation’s cities continue to build bike-friendly infrastructure, but changes in federal policy may threaten funding for these projects.

  • Glass building wall with U.S. Department of Homeland Security seal and the words FEMA, 500 Federal Center Plaza
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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    As FEMA shrinks, cities face rising burdens — and risks

    The backbone of emergency management is under threat, former federal officials say. Small towns may be the first to feel the effects.

    Updated June 24, 2025
  • Horizontal shot of a wood-framed apartment complex under construction.
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    WendellandCarolyn via Getty Images
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    Multifamily construction migrates to less populous areas, housing association says

    There isn’t just one catalyst behind the trend, experts say.

  • White Tesla car in front of a Tesla dealership.
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    jetcityimage via Getty Images
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    Tesla begins robotaxi rollout in Austin, Texas

    The service, initially for invited riders, offers limited hours and range. It's a potential sign of growth for robotaxis, industry observers say.

  • Smoke billowing from smoke stacks in front of skyscrapers.
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    baranozdemir via Getty Images
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    US, global cities tout emissions reductions

    Local U.S. officials say they’re driving emissions goals from the ground up since the Trump administration’s withdrawal from key international climate events and agreements.

  • The Department of Housing and Urban Development
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    helen89 via Getty Images
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    HUD green retrofit grant recipients in limbo after funding upheaval

    While HUD’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program gave out almost 270 awards, only 20 projects received funding before it was halted, according to an attorney.

  • Man seated in a four-wheel cargo van in the bike lane of a New York City street.
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    Courtesy of American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
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    Honda launches quadricycle-based urban cargo delivery business

    The automaker designed an electric quadricycle for the last-mile delivery service it plans to offer.

  • A red tent next to a chain link fence with barbed wire on top.
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    Ceri Breeze via Getty Images
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    Proposed HUD cuts threaten local progress on homelessness

    Programs helping homeless veterans and other chronically unhoused residents could collapse without federal support, local leaders say.

  • A skyline shot of Austin, Texas, with its skyscrapers, and with the Texas State Capitol building in view.
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    adamkaz via Getty Images
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    Municipalities tap AI for permitting

    Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, are using the technology to cut wait times. Honolulu promises its use also will result in faster responses.

  • Large blue bus reading "CapMetro" and "automated" on the destination board.
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    Courtesy of WSP
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    Austin, Texas, tests autonomous transit bus

    Automated buses operating within depots could save money for electric bus fleets and improve safety, engineering firm WSP says.

  • A person wearing shorts and a t-shirt sits on a park bench in the shade of a tree drinking from a plastic water bottle.
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    Antonio_Diaz via Getty Images
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    New tool maps urban heat disparities block by block

    American Forests’ shade map reveals a stark lack of shade in hundreds of U.S. cities, giving local leaders a powerful tool to prioritize cooling investments where they matter most.

  • People walk across a makeshift bridge with damaged infrastructure around them.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Targeted investment, tech can sustain critical infrastructure

    To help communities bounce back after disaster, jurisdictions must identify gaps in lifeline systems and cost-effective ways to mend them, panelists at the Building Innovation 2025 conference said.

  • Brandon Johnson and two men at hearing
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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    5 ‘sanctuary cities’ sue DHS to restore counterterrorism funds

    The cities allege the Department of Homeland Security is jeopardizing terror preparedness and radiological detection efforts after reimbursements have stalled for months.

    Updated June 17, 2025