Cincinnati voters raise sales tax to fund public transit

Hamilton County residents voted for a .8% sales tax increase as part of a "historic" absentee election, improving bus service and chipping away at GHG emission reduction goals. 

By Cailin Crowe • May 15, 2020

St. Louis’ building efficiency standards pave way for the Midwest

New legislation in St. Louis marks a major step forward in reducing building emissions, which make up for 80% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the city.

By Chris Teale • May 12, 2020

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

Sidewalk Labs drops Quayside project

CEO Daniel Doctoroff said the "unprecedented economic uncertainty" made it "too difficult" to continue work on the plan, but Waterfront Toronto assured its commitment to Quayside is still strong.

By Kristin Musulin • Updated May 7, 2020

3 steps for improving building resiliency post-coronavirus

There is an unprecedented opportunity to ditch the business-as-usual approach to commercial construction and redefine sustainable buildings.

By Casey Talon • May 7, 2020

Cities ‘finally waking up’ to the benefits of smart streetlights: survey

The Northeast Group found 59% of the largest U.S. cities are actively converting to LED streetlights, which could help lead to an $8.2 billion investment in smart street lighting over the next decade.

By Chris Teale • May 4, 2020

8 ways coronavirus is altering the construction industry

U.S. jobsites are reopening, but construction will not look the same as before the COVID-19 outbreak. Are cities ready for the paradigm shift?

By Jennifer Goodman • May 1, 2020

Office space occupancy may drop post-pandemic — and that’s OK

COVID-19 has forced employers to adjust operations and expectations in a way that eliminates the remote work "stigma." If this is continued post-pandemic, cities could see major benefits.

By Adam Segal • April 30, 2020

Spin exec: The scooter industry will see a resurgence

Scooter companies were supposed to focus on becoming profitable in 2020. Spin Co-Founder Euwyn Poon explains how the pandemic shifted that focus. 

By Cailin Crowe • April 28, 2020

Chicago requires new building construction include EV charging capabilities

Advocates say the new ordinance makes the city a national leader in efforts to increase the adoption of emissions-free vehicles.

By Robert Walton • April 28, 2020

Cities can leverage program management to drive smart solutions

Independent program management offices (PMOs)​ have the ability to break down the complexities of public-private partnerships and eliminate burdens on local governments.

By Lauren Gore • April 28, 2020

Transportation Electrification Partnership proposes $150B federal stimulus package

The proposal calls for investments in zero emission infrastructure, EV adoption, workforce development and other areas to build climate resilience amid COVID-19.

By Cailin Crowe • April 27, 2020

Spin unveils ‘Build a Better Barrier Challenge’ winners

The grand prize was given to "WeCLAIM," a design that uses reclaimed tires to build lane dividers filled with plants and grasses, in a bid to ensure clear separation of travel lanes.

By Chris Teale • Updated July 28, 2020

New Zealand to fund ‘pop-up’ bike lanes, sidewalk widening amid pandemic

The transportation minister has called on cities to apply for the funding, which will support tactical urbanism projects to improve cyclist and pedestrian safety.

By Cailin Crowe • April 16, 2020

‘Living wall’ in Dallas to capture 1,600 pounds of CO2 annually

The wall, made up of over 40,000 plants, will have internet of things (IoT) sensors to monitor plant health and panels to distribute water and nutrients.

By Chris Teale • April 16, 2020

Ann Arbor, MI City Council adopts $1B climate plan

Staff revised the A2Zero plan to better reflect the long-term costs of action or inaction, and to take into account how strategies may evolve as technology and climate changes.

By Chris Teale • Updated June 4, 2020

Cities face ‘long road’ to economic recovery after coronavirus

Infection rates must lower through social distancing and other policies before city leaders think about returning to normalcy, speakers said on a Thursday webinar.

By Chris Teale • March 27, 2020

San Jose, CA unveils 6 partners for Better Buildings program

The participants have committed to reducing emissions from their buildings by 10% over the course of the one-year program.

By Chris Teale • March 9, 2020

YIMBY Act receives bipartisan support in the House

The U.S. has a shortage of up to 10 million housing units. This federal bill intends to fill that gap by reducing barriers to construction.

By Cailin Crowe • March 4, 2020

NYC cracks down on building efficiency with new energy code

The 2020 NYC Energy Conservation Code is part of the city’s Green New Deal and will require new and existing buildings meet stricter efficiency standards. 

By Jason Plautz • March 2, 2020

White House: Cities impose ‘excessive regulatory barriers’ on housing

The annual report of the Council of Economic Advisers calls out 11 cities where housing is "particularly difficult to build" due to measures such as zoning controls and energy efficiency mandates.

By Kristin Musulin • Feb. 25, 2020

The 'water literacy' lessons cities can learn from Cape Town

The city almost became the first to run out of water in 2018. Since then, local leaders have put the onus on residents to help avoid repeats.

By Chris Teale • Feb. 24, 2020

Seattle unveils Zillow-powered affordable housing search tool

The online tool allows local nonprofit Housing Connector to upload affordable housing inventory and streamline the search process for tenants who need affordable housing.

By Kristin Musulin • Feb. 21, 2020

Arizona set to preempt local natural gas bans

The state legislature passed a bill to prevent cities from banning natural gas infrastructure in new buildings, which is a growing trend in California.

By Jason Plautz • Feb. 21, 2020

ACEEE: Bill targeting energy efficiency of buildings could save consumers $51B

If passed, the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act would modify national building codes to make new homes and commercial buildings are more energy efficient.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 18, 2020

IDC: Global smart city spending to total $124B

The spending would represent an 18.9% increase compared to 2019, with many opportunities for growth in small and mid-size cities.

By Chris Teale • Feb. 14, 2020