Environment
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Chicago task force drafts roadmap for future of city mobility
A scooter-sharing pilot and an autonomous vehicle pilot are among the more than 50 action items.
By Katie Pyzyk • March 19, 2019 -
Dallas launches climate action website
The site will complement the upcoming climate action plan and allows the public to track the city's progress on environmental initiatives.
By Katie Pyzyk • March 19, 2019 -
Smart Cities Council announces 10 finalists in Readiness Challenge
The list will be pared down to five winners, who will each receive year-long guidance on how to turn their smart city visions into reality.
By Chris Teale • March 18, 2019 -
NYC announces $500M resiliency plan for lower Manhattan
Mayor Bill de Blasio laid out a plan to extend shoreline and reinforce coastal areas to guard against sea level rise caused by climate change.
By Chris Teale • March 18, 2019 -
New resource library helps cities boost buildings' energy efficiency
The scalable guidelines from the Institute for Market Transformation and the Natural Resources Defense Council are based on results from strategies tested in 20 U.S. cities.
By Katie Pyzyk • March 04, 2019 -
Pneumatic waste collection tubes get wave of political support in New York
A long-discussed concept to get trucks and bags off the streets around the 1.5-mile High Line Park corridor is taking shape. Now, the team behind it wants key backing from Mayor Bill de Blasio.
By Cole Rosengren • March 01, 2019 -
Bloomberg-backed accelerator to help cities meet renewable energy goals
The American Cities Climate Challenge Renewables Accelerator looks to help cities generate 2.8 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity.
By Chris Teale • Feb. 26, 2019 -
Deep DiveIs New York's 2030 'zero waste' goal receding from reach?
Three key initiatives — single-stream recycling, curbside organics expansion and "save-as-you-throw" — are on hold indefinitely. Now, both skeptics and boosters are questioning whether it's practical or possible to hit the mark.
By Cole Rosengren • Feb. 21, 2019 -
Bloomberg touts impact of American Cities Climate Challenge
The 25 participating cities are projected by the contest's organizer to collectively cut 40 million metric tons of carbon emissions by 2025.
By Jason Plautz • Feb. 11, 2019 -
Federal report: Natural disasters cost US economy $91B in 2018
It is the fourth-highest total cost since record-keeping began in 1980, and only reflects disasters that cost more than $1 billion each.
By Jason Plautz • Feb. 08, 2019 -
Green New Deal resolution calls for 100% zero-carbon power within 10 years
The plan would reportedly also call for a phase out of nuclear energy, which provides more than half of the zero-carbon electricity in the U.S. today.
By Gavin Bade • Feb. 08, 2019 -
Lyft introduces 'Green Mode' to put riders in EVs, hybrids
The platform, which is now live in Seattle, is part of the company's goal to get a billion rides per year in electric cars by 2025.
By Jason Plautz • Feb. 07, 2019 -
Michigan governor cites extreme weather in signing clean energy order
Gretchen Whitmer, D, committed the state to the U.S. emissions reduction target under the Paris Climate Agreement, noting the urgency of her actions in the context of extreme weather events last week.
By Catherine Morehouse • Feb. 06, 2019 -
Illinois tops 2018 USGBC ranking for LEED buildings
The Prairie State, which topped the list for the first time since 2015, certified 172 LEED projects for a total of 5.31 square feet of LEED-certified building per person.
By Jason Plautz • Feb. 05, 2019 -
Volkswagen floats opening up EV platform to competitors
The company's chief strategist said it wants to standardize its MEB platform, and is already in advanced talks with interested parties.
By Chris Teale • Feb. 01, 2019 -
New report lists steps for Boston to become carbon neutral
The strategies will influence updates to the city's climate action plan this year to include electrification, energy retrofits and a downtown congestion fee.
By Katie Pyzyk • Jan. 30, 2019 -
Prague to offer free transit rides during smog emergencies
The measure in the Czech capital to encourage commuters not to drive was salvaged from last year's failed anti-smog regulations.
By Katie Pyzyk • Jan. 30, 2019 -
Deep DiveHow small US cities are fighting to save recycling
Solutions to preserve access and reduce contamination are emerging from municipalities, partners and citizen-led efforts in states such as Oregon, Virginia and New Hampshire.
By Katie Pyzyk • Jan. 29, 2019 -
Fremont, CA pilots electric police vehicle to reduce emissions
The department has retrofitted a Tesla Model S for patrol operations, and will monitor performance, durability and costs throughout the pilot.
By Jason Plautz • Jan. 28, 2019 -
Survey: 73% of Americans believe global warming is happening
The survey from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication indicated Americans' concern about climate change is growing.
By Katie Pyzyk • Jan. 24, 2019 -
A new lease on life for Holyoke, MA's former coal-fired power plant
The Mount Tom Station was recently replaced by a solar farm with a three-megawatt battery storage system and 17,000 solar panels — the state's largest.
By Chris Teale • Jan. 22, 2019 -
NUMO alliance forms to help 'rethink our cities' in the face of changing mobility
"My passion is transportation ... It's the glue of our lives," Robin Chase, executive chair of the alliance's steering committee, told Smart Cities Dive.
By Katie Pyzyk • Jan. 17, 2019 -
Bloomberg names final 5 American Cities Climate Challenge winners
Albuquerque, NM; Austin, TX; Denver; Orlando, FL; and San Antonio will participate in the two-year acceleration program as part of a 25-city cohort.
By Chris Teale • Jan. 14, 2019 -
3 promising new technologies could help send stormwater to taps in thirsty cities
Capturing and reusing urban stormwater could be a boon for water-stressed cities — if we can find a way to clean it up.
By Lindsey Konkel • Jan. 10, 2019 -
US power sector carbon emissions jump as gas boom outpaces coal decline
The new Rhodium group report represents a worrying reversal for the electric utility industry, raising questions about whether its recent formula for emissions reductions has outlived its usefulness.
By Gavin Bade • Jan. 09, 2019
