The average apartment size is shrinking

Tallahassee, Florida, has the largest new apartments in the country at 1,182 square feet, while Seattle has the smallest at 659 square feet, according to a new study.

By Mary Salmonsen • March 2, 2023

45 projects receive first Reconnecting Communities grants from US DOT

With funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law, the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program aims to restore connections between communities that had been severed by highways and other transportation infrastructure. 

By Dan Zukowski • March 1, 2023

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from Smart Cities Dive

From worsening climate change to a shifting transportation landscape and the housing affordability crisis, cities have their work cut out for them.

By Smart Cities Dive staff

$250M for curbing climate pollution, advancing environmental justice available from US EPA

Each of the 67 most-populated U.S. metropolitan areas is eligible for $1 million in planning grants, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will follow with $4.6 billion to help cities and states implement their plans later this year.

By Michael Brady • March 1, 2023

‘Impossible to build’: REIT Vornado postpones mixed-use development planned for New York’s Penn Station

The Vornado development is part of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to redevelop Penn Station with tax revenue generated by the project.

By Sebastian Obando • Feb. 28, 2023

PACE programs are a popular strategy for local decarbonization financing: report

Property-assessed clean energy programs are more common than taxes and other strategies as a source of dedicated climate funds for local governments, a Brookings Institution report found.

By Michael Brady • Feb. 27, 2023

ARPA fund spending shows regional differences in local government priorities, researchers say

Large cities and counties have spent the largest share of state and local fiscal recovery funds from the American Rescue Plan Act on government operations. But their spending on other priorities diverges from there, researchers found.

By Michael Brady • Feb. 23, 2023

New York City aims to improve access for people with disabilities to homeless shelters, affordable housing

Mayor Eric Adams signed four bills to create an accessibility advisory board, mandate signage for power-operated doors, and require new city-funded housing developments to use universal design principles, among other efforts.

By Michael Brady • Feb. 22, 2023

Why storefront car crashes happen at convenience stores so often

7-Eleven’s recent $91 million settlement for an accident in its forecourt highlights an alarmingly common — and potentially hazardous — issue.

By Brett Dworski • Feb. 17, 2023

Smart city conferences to attend in 2023

The tenth Bloomberg CityLab — a global cities summit — will take place in Washington, D.C., this fall.

By Michael Brady • Updated Sept. 5, 2023

Office-to-residential conversions often hinge on government cooperation

Adapting offices for residential use is often more difficult, more expensive and less profitable than new construction, one developer said.

By Dan Rosenbaum • Feb. 13, 2023

The Super Bowl’s most recent stadiums and how much it cost to build them

SoFi Stadium was just two years old when it first hosted the Super Bowl last year, but Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium has hosted six times since 1987.

By Zachary Phillips • Feb. 10, 2023

Insulating existing buildings with low-carbon and carbon-storing materials can reduce emissions: report

“Deep energy retrofits” that use certain insulation systems can turn existing buildings into storehouses of carbon instead of emitters of greenhouse gases, according to an RMI report.

By Michael Brady • Feb. 9, 2023

House bill aims to create lending institution for infrastructure projects

The Federal Infrastructure Bank would work with state and local partners on private infrastructure investments via loans and loan guarantees, helping finance work such as transportation projects and broadband connectivity.

By Jennifer Goodman • Feb. 8, 2023

Philly launches digital tool to ease building permitting process

The pilot aims to improve access to information about necessary permits, approvals and other requirements for some residential and commercial projects, the city said.

By Michael Brady • Feb. 7, 2023

Pickleball is booming. Here’s how cities are adapting to the craze.

As the paddle sport’s popularity soars, cities are opening new courts but keeping an eye on equity.

By Gaby Galvin • Feb. 7, 2023

Top 10 metro areas for construction starts

Even when adjusted for inflation, commercial and multifamily construction starts were robust in 2022 as projects moved back toward urban cores, according to a new report.

By Sebastian Obando • Feb. 6, 2023

2023 Smart Cities Outlook

In the year ahead, city leaders will face economic headwinds while tackling the housing shortage and changes in travel behavior and decarbonizing transportation and buildings.

By Michael Brady • Feb. 1, 2023

New Jersey adopts law spurring low-carbon concrete

Heralded as a first-of-its-kind law in the U.S., the policy will create tax credits to incentivize the development and procurement of concrete that lowers or captures emissions associated with the highly polluting industry.

By Maria Rachal • Feb. 1, 2023

Office conversions will soar this year: report

Apartments have made up one-third of office conversion activity since 2016, according to a report by commercial real estate firm CBRE.

By Leslie Shaver • Jan. 31, 2023

7 projects to watch in 2023

From an NFL stadium to a major airport expansion and a massive manufacturing plant, these high-profile, high-impact projects are expected to hit significant milestones this year.

By Construction Dive Staff • Jan. 30, 2023

How green building policy could evolve in 2023

After reducing energy use in buildings, cutting embodied carbon is next on the green policy agenda for state and local leaders, potentially prompting a shift from concrete and steel to materials like timber or straw, experts say.

By Adina Solomon • Jan. 26, 2023

Walkable urban areas are popular but have an affordability problem: report

People are paying a premium to live in dense and walkable neighborhoods, according to new data analysis, which could be a bright spot for downtowns impacted by pandemic-era work changes.

By Maria Rachal • Jan. 25, 2023

El Paso to reconnect neighborhoods divided by highway with deck plaza

The Texas city will work with Stantec on the design and planning for a downtown public space with regional amenities over Interstate 10, which might also be widened as part of the project.

By Dan Zukowski • Jan. 25, 2023

Cost of proposed San Francisco commuter, high-speed rail tunnel grows to $6.7B

The 1.3-mile tunnel would bring commuter trains to the downtown transit center, but pre-pandemic ridership hasn't returned along the line.

By Dan Zukowski • Jan. 24, 2023

Electric vehicles near ‘tipping point’ in 2023

Key developments for EV adoption this year include implementing federal incentives, developing a national charging network and addressing utility issues, according to transportation, energy and real estate professionals.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 20, 2023