Asphalt art grants of $25K available from Bloomberg Philanthropies

“It’s amazing what a few cans of paint — and a forward-looking community — can achieve,” Bloomberg Philanthropies founder and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement.

By Michael Brady • April 27, 2023

Worried about gas ban litigation? After court tosses Berkeley rule, legal experts look at cities’ options

Other “totally lawful opportunities” exist for local governments to phase out gas in new buildings, such as through building codes, said a senior fellow at Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law.

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 27, 2023

Explore the Trendline➔

Energy Codes and Building Performance Standards

Cities are using these levers to meet climate goals and address everything from data centers to building decarbonization.

By Smart Cities Dive staff

Elon Musk’s company town plans worry some locals, urban planners

The plans for Snailbrook, near Boring Co. and future SpaceX manufacturing facilities in central Texas, raise questions about local governance, environmental impacts and more.

By Adina Solomon • April 24, 2023

$562M for coastal resiliency projects announced by Commerce Department

The money from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law will fund nearly 150 projects across the country focused on bolstering the country’s response to climate change.

By Jennifer Goodman • April 24, 2023

ARPA funds used to fill city budget gaps, Brookings analysis finds

Spending American Rescue Plan Act funds on “revenue replacement” allowed localities to free up money for long-term priorities, such as economic development, a Brookings Metro researcher said.

By Kalena Thomhave • April 21, 2023

Cybersecurity best practices for smart cities issued by CISA

Smart city technologies are at risk “of exploitation for espionage and for financial or political gain by malicious threat actors,” according to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

By Michael Brady • April 21, 2023

On infrastructure jobs, OSHA steps up workplace safety enforcement

As federal funds flood into construction projects thanks to the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is concerned about protecting workers in the infrastructure sector.

By Julie Strupp • April 12, 2023

How Jersey City’s resiliency plan preps them to weather the storm

How the leaders of Jersey City ensure that their community remains safe and healthy for generations to come.

April 10, 2023

Economic uncertainty, financing issues causing construction delays

Material prices are growing at a much slower pace than a year ago, according to a new National Multifamily Housing Council quarterly survey, and the labor market is showing signs of improvement.

By Mary Salmonsen • April 5, 2023

Every rental unit has level 2 EV charging in its own garage in this Arizona development

Individual chargers will become standard across the housing industry in the future, predicts the property’s development and management team.

By Mary Salmonsen • March 24, 2023

Cities see hyperlocal ‘activity centers’ as key to sustainable growth, less car dependency

Most metropolitan area residents live within three miles of an activity center, according to Brookings Institution research. Officials are planning around such centers to help residents meet their everyday needs while driving less.

By Gaby Galvin • March 21, 2023

The importance of building relationships: 2022 Exemplary Public Servant Molly McLoughlin

As facilities director for the Boulder Valley School District in Colorado, McLoughlin put her procurement experience to work on HVAC retrofits and COVID pandemic purchasing needs.

By Michelle Havich • March 20, 2023

Mixed-use project breaks ground in Miami’s Wynwood Arts District

The Wynwood Plaza will feature a landscaped pedestrian thoroughfare by the designers of New York City’s High Line.

By Mary Salmonsen • March 17, 2023

On climate change, this group of mayors thinks globally and acts locally

Climate Mayors Executive Director Kate Wright discusses how the organization is helping mayors lead on climate policy and implement provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act and 2021 infrastructure law.

By Michael Brady • March 17, 2023

Skanska predicts construction costs will rise above inflation in many US cities

The new report examined construction costs in 21 U.S. markets, including Dallas; New York City; Orlando, Florida; Phoenix; San Francisco; and Seattle.

By Zachary Phillips • March 14, 2023

Dynamic curbs could make cities more livable but would require getting more people out of cars, experts say

During the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, cities allowed sidewalk dining streeteries and parklets. Now they’re “tearing half of them down to turn them back into parking spots,” a Lyft executive said.

By Maylin Tu • March 13, 2023

Biden proposed budget boosts funding for clean energy, permitting, efficiency programs

The budget released Thursday includes $11.9 billion for the Department of Energy climate and clean energy research, development, demonstration and deployment, a 20% hike over the FY 23 enacted amount.

By Ethan Howland • March 10, 2023

To fight e-bike fires, New York state and city lawmakers crack down on unsafe batteries, chargers

“Reconditioned and untested batteries are contributing to a serious threat to the health and safety of New Yorkers in their homes and in their jobs,” state Sen. Liz Krueger said.

By Michael Brady • March 8, 2023

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

$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