Deep Dive: Page 2

Industry insights from our journalists

  • Futuristic mobility illustration
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    Adeline Kon/Smart Cities Dive
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    Flying taxis, hyperloops and driverless cars: Is it too early to start planning for future mobility?

    Miami, Orlando and Pittsburgh are planning for air mobility and other novel modes of transport decades ahead. Critics say focusing on flashy, futuristic technologies distracts from simpler solutions for today.

    Jason Plautz • Nov. 19, 2021
  • Photo for Smart Cities Dive's Reassessing the smart cities movement project
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    Adeline Kon/Smart Cities Dive
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    The future of smart cities: Leaders forecast more digitally just governance

    Over the next five years, smart cities will emphasize digital justice, community trust and data-led decisions, city leaders say. But roadblocks — like funding and a public sector aversion to risk — could stand in the way. 

    Cailin Crowe • Nov. 17, 2021
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    David Dee Delgado/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Flooding risk complicates cities' push to legalize basement apartments

    In the age of extreme weather, amid the deaths of 11 New Yorkers living in basement units following heavy rainfall from remnants of Hurricane Ida, cities aim to balance safety with affordable housing accessibility.

    Jason Plautz • Nov. 11, 2021
  • Reassessing the Smart Cities Movement
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    Adeline Kon/Smart Cities Dive
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    Smart city evolution: How cities have stepped back from a 'tech arms race'

    Following the 'first wave' of the smart cities movement, local leaders describe how they have largely shifted from a tech-first to a resident-first approach.

    Danielle McLean, Maria Rachal and Dan Zukowski • Nov. 9, 2021
  • Propelling the Transition: As Ford, GM and others invest billions in EVs, will the power system be ready?
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    Adeline Kon/Smart Cities Dive
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    As Tesla, Ford and others invest billions in EVs, will the power system be ready?

    The new White House zero emission vehicle target of 50% of new car sales by 2030 has a long way to go, a short time to get there, and big challenges ahead.

    Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 3, 2021
  • Intro art for Smart Cities Dive Back to Basics project.
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    Adeline Kon/Smart Cities Dive
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    15 city leaders define a ‘smart city’

    Smart Cities Dive asked major U.S. cities to weigh in on the past, present and future of their smart city efforts. In the first story of a multipart series, we highlight how city leaders define the term today.

    Danielle McLean • Nov. 2, 2021
  • A screenshot of the city of Boston's digital twin from the Boston Planning and Development Agency website. It had last been updated on August 2021.
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    Permission granted by The Boston Planning and Development Agency's 3D Smart Model
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    Are digital twins the future of urban planning?

    Digital 3D models can help city leaders plan for the future, but their value will depend on the data.

    Adina Solomon • Nov. 1, 2021
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Amtrak plans major expansion by 2035 if infrastructure bill passes

    Amtrak's expansion plans could connect small towns and reduce inequalities, while boosting development, housing and jobs in cities. However, those ambitions face some hurdles. 

    Dan Zukowski • Oct. 20, 2021
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    Dave Einsel via Getty Images
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    The pandemic changed car ownership. How can cities adapt?

    Car buyers are thinking about protection from the coronavirus rather than convenience or traffic. That could be bad news for cities looking to get cars off the road for good. 

    Jason Plautz • Aug. 9, 2021
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    Samuel Corum via Getty Images
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    10 ways the PRO Act could change the game for employers and organized labor

    Currently being considered in the Senate, the bill would strengthen the ability of unions, including those of public sector workers, to form and collectively bargain.

    Emilie Shumway • Aug. 2, 2021
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    Courtesy of Cruise
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    California's first AV public passenger service could provide key industry and market data

    General Motors-owned Cruise will operate the first-ever driverless car service in the state. Others in the space said they hope to learn a lot — including how the public reacts — from its efforts.

    Chris Teale • Aug. 2, 2021
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Philadelphia's eviction diversion program is a 'lifeline' for tenants

    The "nation's largest poor city" has adopted one of the most aggressive eviction diversion efforts in the U.S., in an effort one city council member said she hopes will remain post-pandemic.

    Amanda Loudin • June 16, 2021
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    Adeline Kon/Smart Cities Dive
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    Automakers and universities team up to fix AV industry's talent gap

    Schools are evolving their courses to keep pace with autonomous vehicle technology changes and build the industry's pipeline of workers.

    Chris Teale • May 3, 2021
  • Satellite internet illustration
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    Adeline Kon/Smart Cities Dive
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    Satellite internet: digital divide solution or 'science experiment'?

    SpaceX and Amazon have said the technology can help rural America get online, but opponents say it's unproven and not worthy of federal investment.

    Chris Teale • March 30, 2021
  • shotspotter smart cities dive 2020 earnings
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    Adeline Kon/Smart Cities Dive
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    Local leaders reckon with ShotSpotter's ambiguous ROI

    ShotSpotter CEO Ralph Clark said the company saw 12% YOY revenue growth in 2020, during a recent earnings call. Meanwhile, some experts question the tech's efficacy as cities face strapped budgets and high homicide rates.

    Cailin Crowe • Feb. 26, 2021
  • For Utility Dive climate project, illustration with transmission lines in a storm
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    Danielle Ternes/Smart Cities Dive
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    Power sector experts fight misinformation around Texas outages

    Operators will often prepare for peak loads based on historical data, but those forecasts can be less predictable under a changing climate, one expert said.

    Catherine Morehouse • Feb. 18, 2021
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    Yujin Kim/Smart Cities Dive
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    Transit workers face growing rate of assaults: 'There's not much we can do'

    Some transit operators are asking for reassignments off the frontlines as they face increasingly violent threats from frustrated riders amid COVID-19.

    Chris Teale • Feb. 17, 2021
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    Wikimedia
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    Lawmakers vs. regulators: The fight over Arizona's zero-emissions mandate

    Conservatives say the Arizona Corporation Commission's proposed zero-carbon mandate oversteps its constitutional authority while defenders say the legal debate is an excuse to impede the state's climate fight.

    Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 11, 2021
  • COVID vaccine for transit workers illustration
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    Adeline Kon/Smart Cities Dive
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    Transit agencies brace for vaccination push amid murky guidance

    Though federal agencies have deemed public transit a priority sector for COVID-19 vaccinations, states are charting their own plans to address rider demands and union resources.

    Chris Teale • Feb. 1, 2021
  • Fulton East office building
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    Permission granted by Parkside Realty Inc.
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    How COVID-19 will change office, hotel and mixed-use design

    There are still unknowns as far as how the coronavirus pandemic will impact the look of new spaces, but flexibility in layouts will be key, design experts say.

    Kim Slowey • Jan. 25, 2021
  • Drone video

    Building the drone highways of the sky

    UAS corridors or "sky lanes" can facilitate transformational opportunities for cities. Yet the road to integrated drone operation poses a host of challenges. 

    Nathan Eddy • Dec. 22, 2020
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    Retrieved from Flickr user Kim Seng on November 13, 2020
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    5G health concerns sow uncertainty amid ongoing rollout

    While deployment continues unabated across the U.S., a small coalition of groups and leaders are trying to put the brakes on 5G in a bid to learn more about the technology.

    Chris Teale • Dec. 14, 2020
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    Dollar Photo Club
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    Agencies tap public surveys to gauge transit trends

    From Idaho Falls to Norman, OK, cities and transit agencies are leaning on carefully crafted surveys to navigate the post-COVID future of transit.

    Adina Solomon • Dec. 8, 2020
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    Terry Shapiro Photography

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    Shopping to shelter: Abandoned mall sites welcome senior housing

    A number of cities nationally are looking to "infill redevelopment" of vacant mall sites to bridge the growing housing gap for aging populations.

    Joan Mooney • Updated Dec. 4, 2020
  • 2020 outlook rate design image
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    Photo illustration by Brian Tucker/Utility Dive; photograph by tommaso79 via Getty Images
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    Rate design innovations are boosting the energy transition

    Success with time-of-use rates can allow utilities to integrate more variable and distributed generation, leading to more sophisticated time-varying rates.

    Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 30, 2020