Climate & Resilience
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Trump administration unlawfully cut clean energy grants, court rules
The decision is a victory for St. Paul, Minnesota, and a coalition of energy and environmental groups that sued the U.S. Department of Energy after it canceled $7.5 billion in financial awards.
By Robert Walton • Jan. 13, 2026 -
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Trump administration sues cities to stop gas appliance bans
Federal courts have been mixed on whether the bans run counter to a federal law that sets appliance efficiency standards, which the government argues preempts the bans.
By Robert Freedman • Jan. 9, 2026 -
Explore the Trendline➔
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TrendlineTop 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 -
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2026 Trends to Watch8 trends that will shape cities in 2026
As federal funding becomes less predictable, cities face major shifts in transportation, housing and climate resilience in the new year.
By Smart Cities Dive Staff • Jan. 8, 2026 -
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2026 Predictions14 predictions about what 2026 may hold for cities
AI, infrastructure needs and shifting mobility patterns will shape how cities function in 2026, experts say.
By Smart Cities Dive Staff • Jan. 7, 2026 -
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Court blocks ‘arbitrary and capricious’ changes to FEMA grants
FEMA’s “abrupt change in policy is particularly harmful to local emergency management,” the judge stated.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Jan. 6, 2026 -
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2026 PredictionsAddressing housing, climate change and AI in an unpredictable year
Community leaders described their efforts to tackle those and other key issues at the annual National League of Cities' City Summit in November.
By Ryan Kushner • Dec. 22, 2025 -
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Emergency managers, meteorologists push back against breakup of NCAR climate research center
Dismantling the nation’s premier weather and climate institution would have “a horrible impact on the local level,” says the chair of the International Association of Emergency Managers USA Weather Caucus.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Dec. 19, 2025 -
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2026 Trends to WatchAppeals court to reexamine EPA’s power to block climate grants
The D.C. Circuit agreed to rehear a ruling that let the Environmental Protection Agency freeze $20 billion in Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund awards.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated Dec. 18, 2025 -
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NYC congestion zone air pollution measure fell 22% in 6 months
Significant emissions reductions in Manhattan’s tolling zone extended to the wider metropolitan New York City area, a Cornell University study found.
By Dan Zukowski • Dec. 17, 2025 -
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As EPA moves to fast-track data centers, some cities are moving to slow them down
The EPA is streamlining Clean Air Act permitting to accelerate development. Will local communities pay the price?
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Dec. 17, 2025 -
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FEMALocal governments need to step up as FEMA’s future remains uncertain, experts say
The upheaval in emergency management could ultimately strengthen a long-overlooked profession, former FEMA leaders said Monday during a Carnegie Institute panel.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated Dec. 16, 2025 -
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FEMAEmergency managers expected direction on FEMA’s future. They got silence instead.
Capping nine months of reduced federal support and legal disputes, the abrupt shutdown of a FEMA review vote Thursday deepens uncertainty around disaster planning, experts say.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated Dec. 12, 2025 -
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Climate change is rapidly altering cities. Here’s how some are responding.
As cities heat up, leaders continue to pursue sustainability, panelists at the National League of Cities City Summit said.
By Ryan Kushner • Dec. 10, 2025 -
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Facing extreme rainfall and flooding, NYC is turning Brooklyn’s Prospect Park into a natural buffer
A $68 million Bluebelt system includes drainage upgrades, ponds and rain gardens designed to manage intensifying rainfall while easing pressure on the city’s aging sewer system.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Dec. 8, 2025 -
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House bill barring state, local gas appliance bans clears hurdle
California and Washington are among the states with gas bans, and Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, Maryland, are among the localities with bans.
By Robert Freedman • Dec. 8, 2025 -
GAF
Sponsored by GAFBuilding storm-ready cities from the top down
GAF and IBHS are helping to address a common challenge: how to build communities to withstand the growing force of severe weather.
Dec. 8, 2025 -
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5 steps to increasing biodiversity in cities
Researchers from the University of Notre Dame analyzed international biodiversity initiatives and developed actionable steps cities can take.
By Ryan Kushner • Dec. 4, 2025 -
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Accelerator aims to strengthen resilience in Austin-San Antonio region
Local governments across Texas’ fastest-growing corridor will build a shared road map to tackle flooding, extreme heat, wildfire and winter storms as population growth amplifies risk.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated Dec. 2, 2025 -
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Adaptive reuse projects accelerate, driven by schools, offices
Chicago is leading the nation in conversions, as the pipeline for these projects has increased 19% across the U.S, according to RentCafe.
By Joe Burns • Dec. 1, 2025 -
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Shifting water infrastructure decisions to local governments could accelerate housing, advocates say
A new WOTUS definition proposed by the EPA would give builders relief from federal permitting delays, but environmental groups warn it could leave cities more exposed to flood and water quality risks.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Dec. 1, 2025 -
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EPA moves to roll back Biden-era particulate limits, signaling a major shift in clean air policy
The agency asked the U.S. Court of Appeals to overturn the 2024 “soot standard,” citing incomplete scientific analysis and projected compliance costs.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Nov. 26, 2025 -
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Sponsored by SamsaraHow connected operations transforms emergency response
84% of agencies lack real-time data for effective emergency response.
Nov. 24, 2025 -
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OpinionThe Eaton Fire showed us California’s future. Our recovery systems aren’t ready.
Ten months after the fire, many Altadena families remain displaced because permitting, remediation and housing policies are not designed for urban fire disasters. Here’s a road map to address these failures.
By Farid Yaghoubtil • Nov. 21, 2025 -
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Q&AHow cities are building climate resilience even as federal funds disappear
Cities are tapping AI, universities and streamlined procurement to prepare for and protect their communities from extreme weather, a founding member of the Local Infrastructure Hub says.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Nov. 21, 2025 -
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Power outages getting longer as extreme weather takes larger toll, report says
The average length of the longest power outage has increased in all regions since 2022, according to JD Power.
By Meris Lutz • Nov. 19, 2025
