Equity: Page 2
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What US mayors want from the next president, Congress
The creation of a first-ever city mental health block grant, affordable housing investments and gun safety legislation are among the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ requests.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 27, 2024 -
Column
New York nonprofit develops hundreds of trade careers annually
The Andromeda Community Initiative helps train, place and develop careers for underrepresented groups, especially communities of color, in New York City.
By Zachary Phillips • June 21, 2024 -
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 -
Electrifying neighborhoods could save California billions on gas line replacements
Utilities could save around $20 billion in gas pipeline replacement costs by 2045 while only affecting about 3% of current gas customers, says a new analysis prepared for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 20, 2024 -
Chicago creates Black reparations task force with $500K budget
Chicago joins a growing list of U.S. cities studying reparations programs, although few have come to fruition thus far. Meanwhile, some conservative groups and lawmakers are pushing back on such efforts.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 18, 2024 -
9 climate resilience job training programs to launch with $60M from NOAA
They will train workers for jobs in conservation, renewable energy, urban agriculture, green infrastructure, emergency preparedness and more, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 12, 2024 -
Chicago tackles digital divide with $8M parks initiative
Sixty parks will be outfitted with new infrastructure, city officials announced. The effort comes on the heels of the termination of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 11, 2024 -
Deep Dive
The heat is on. Contractors say they’re ready.
Commercial construction firms aren’t waiting on OSHA’s much-anticipated heat standard to protect their workers.
By Zachary Phillips • June 7, 2024 -
Finding public bathrooms in New York City just got easier
The city this week unveiled a Google Maps layer showing the locations of its public restrooms.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 7, 2024 -
Deep Dive
Heat safety laws for workers in Texas, Florida, Phoenix to be put to the test
As summer begins, some states prevent cities from mandating water breaks. Still, there are commonsense practices to protect workers from soaring temperatures, safety officials say.
By Zachary Phillips • May 28, 2024 -
Brownfield clean-up job training programs can get $14M from EPA
The federal agency also awarded over $300 million in grants to clean up polluted sites so communities can repurpose them into assets such as affordable housing and green space.
By Ysabelle Kempe • May 28, 2024 -
Q&A
This universal basic employment pilot aims to reduce poverty
The CEO of the group spearheading the effort envisions running similar programs nationwide and, eventually, at the federal level.
By Ysabelle Kempe • May 21, 2024 -
How wide are funding gaps in some large metro school districts?
The per-student funding disparity between wealthy and less wealthy districts in one community was more than $11,000. To reduce or eliminate funding inequities, a new study recommends ambitious policy changes.
By Kara Arundel • May 21, 2024 -
Heat resilience research centers unveiled by Biden administration
Most governments have historically lacked “a comprehensive or coordinated set of strategies to deal with heat and its impacts,” a center lead said. Applications for communities to get involved will open later this year.
By Ysabelle Kempe • May 21, 2024 -
How cool pavement, heat risk data are helping a Texas city prep for summer
With heat-related illness on the rise in San Antonio, “it’s critical that we direct resources to those most in need of relief,” said the city’s chief sustainability officer.
By Ysabelle Kempe • May 20, 2024 -
OSHA heat standard clears regulatory hurdle
A committee has unanimously recommended that the agency advance a rule to protect construction workers from high temperatures.
By Zachary Phillips • May 14, 2024 -
FEMA alters how it calculates costs, benefits of disaster resilience projects
The changes will address longstanding barriers that underserved communities have faced in accessing grants, the agency says.
By Ysabelle Kempe • May 14, 2024 -
How tracking homelessness in real time ‘by name’ can guide local action
Federally mandated annual “point-in-time” counts paint a picture of homelessness in broad strokes. But some communities are collecting information to understand what happens in between.
By Ysabelle Kempe • May 3, 2024 -
EPA unveils environmental justice ‘clearinghouse’ with hundreds of resources
The online library is an "excellent start" for municipal leaders looking to center environmental justice in their work, the National League of Cities’ sustainability director said.
By Ysabelle Kempe • May 2, 2024 -
NYC fare-free bus experiment to end
Although funding to continue the program was not included in the recently passed state budget, two lawmakers are looking to expand the program with new legislation.
By Dan Zukowski • Updated April 30, 2024 -
Labor Department will raise overtime salary threshold to $44K in July, $59K next year
The final rule expands overtime pay eligibility to millions of U.S. workers, the department said.
By Ryan Golden • April 25, 2024 -
DOL’s ‘unprecedented,’ two-pronged overtime rule adds new HR wrinkles
Employers must decide whether to incrementally comply with the rule’s salary threshold updates or move straight to compliance with the higher 2025 threshold, attorneys said.
By Ryan Golden • April 25, 2024 -
To increase job access, try dedicated bus lanes, this study says
Urban Institute researchers found that well-enforced bus lanes could reduce costs for transit agencies and help provide equitable access to employment opportunities.
By Dan Zukowski • April 25, 2024 -
A first-in-the-nation home repair program sees overwhelming demand
A "gaping need" exists nationwide for programs that improve housing quality, said a senior research analyst at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.
By Kalena Thomhave • April 25, 2024 -
EPA awards $7B to 60 low-income solar access programs
The funds will support community solar programs as well as initiatives to provide loans and grants to low-income households looking to install rooftop solar, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
By Emma Penrod • April 24, 2024 -
California’s clean-truck rules: a fleet owner’s view
Although the state’s rules face legal pushback from trucking interests and 19 states, one pioneering fleet owner found surprising benefits as he began buying heavy-duty electric trucks.
By Dan Zukowski • April 23, 2024