Pritzker proposes statewide zoning standards to boost housing in Illinois

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker targeted local housing regulations in his State of the State this week, unveiling a path for more “missing middle” development.

By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 20, 2026

States sue Energy Department for terminating $8B in clean energy funding

The Trump administration unlawfully bypassed Congress and made politically motivated cuts to programs created through the IRA and IIJA, the lawsuit claims.

By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 20, 2026

Local leaders want more say in federal transportation funding

Local officials will meet with congressional leaders in the coming weeks to discuss bipartisan legislation that aims to deliver funds to communities more efficiently.

By Dan Zukowski • Feb. 18, 2026

Gaps persist between impact and opportunity in youth civic participation

Local government leaders saw K-12 schools as the most valuable institutions for positive effects on civic participation, according to a recent CivicPulse survey.

By Ed Finkel • Feb. 12, 2026

Los Angeles’ encampment cleanup program may displace more people than it helps, study finds

As efforts to clear encampments continue, unhoused individuals in LA are being forced to move around, according to a UCLA study.

By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 10, 2026

Local governments hired hundreds of former federal workers last year

Following DOGE efforts that led to a mass exodus of federal employees in 2025, Civic Match says it has connected nearly 200 of them with local government jobs.

By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 9, 2026

What the 2026 business owner experience data reveals about government

What the 2026 data reveals about business frustration with local government processes.

By Marcy Swisher • Feb. 9, 2026

Federal energy-assistance programs survive budget gauntlet

President Trump signed budget bills to maintain funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Weatherization Assistance Program on Feb. 3, 2026.

By Brian Martucci • Feb. 6, 2026

Kansas City, Missouri, moves to the forefront of data center zoning with new ordinance

U.S. communities are watching closely as Kansas City reclassifies data centers as industrial facilities and launches a review of their impacts on water, power, climate goals and economic growth.

By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 6, 2026

Can the maker economy drive local economic revitalization? 6 Michigan communities are about to find out.

Leaders from six Southeastern Michigan communities will receive training on revitalizing downtowns by supporting small-scale manufacturing.

By Danielle McLean • Feb. 2, 2026

Utah is planning to construct a vast homeless shelter. Some critics are calling it a ‘detention camp.’

Two members of Congress joined the National Homelessness Law Center in calling for a rejection of federal funding for the 1,300-bed facility in Salt Lake City.

By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 2, 2026

The Smart Cities outlook for 2026: Pressure points for city leaders

As cities navigate housing reform, transportation needs, climate resilience, AI and changes in federal funding, 2026 will be a consequential year for how they govern, budget and protect their autonomy.

By Smart Cities Dive Staff • Jan. 30, 2026

How cities are using AI in 2026

“We’re all in learning mode … and looking at it with a wary eye,” one mayor said about AI’s potential for municipal operations. Read more in this 2026 outlook.

By Vicky Uhland and Robyn Lawrence • Updated Feb. 2, 2026

Surface transportation bill will shape the U.S. transportation outlook

Preserving public transit funding, increasing safety and issues of local and state control are among stakeholder priorities. Can lawmakers forge a bipartisan path forward?

By Dan Zukowski • Jan. 29, 2026

How Trump could make good on his threats to cut ‘sanctuary’ city funding

The administration could quietly squeeze cities through discretionary grants, a legal expert says. Here’s how cities should prepare for Trump’s Feb. 1 deadline.

By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Jan. 28, 2026

Hudson Tunnel construction may stop as Trump withholds funding

Nearly 1,000 workers will lose their jobs on Feb. 6 if the $16 billion project in New York and New Jersey is put on hold, the project authority said.

By Dan Zukowski • Jan. 28, 2026

Expectations, reality can differ for new mayors’ first 100 days, study finds

Administrative realities dominated 15 mayors’ first 100 days in office, according to a Bloomberg Center for Cities report.

By Danielle McLean • Jan. 26, 2026

Congress advances transportation funding bill

The legislation largely maintains funding for public transportation and passenger rail but slashes a program to add intercity passenger trains.

By Dan Zukowski • Jan. 22, 2026

Trump issues order to curb single-family home sales to large investors

The executive order directs the attorney general to review housing acquisitions by large institutional investors for “anti-competitive practices.”

By Ryan Kushner • Jan. 21, 2026

As $10B in federal child care funds hangs in the balance, cities and counties brace for budget shock

With a court-ordered pause on a federal funding freeze set to expire this week, local governments in five states face the prospect of service disruptions, budget gaps and economic impacts if federal dollars do not resume.

By Vicky Uhland • Jan. 20, 2026

Cities explore tossing rental ‘junk fees’ to ease affordability crisis

Colorado has banned “hidden” fees. New York City and San Diego may follow suit.

By Ryan Kushner • Jan. 20, 2026

AV bill narrowly passes through House committee

Democrats balked at limits to state and local governments' ability to regulate AVs, but they expect a bipartisan bill to emerge.

By Dan Zukowski • Updated Feb. 11, 2026

Miami-Dade County launches innovation pilot with recycling app Scrapp

The partnership with Scrapp, which offers recycling education and data analytics, got a boost from a $100,000 county innovation grant.

By Megan Quinn • Jan. 16, 2026

With zoning and regulatory changes, cities aim to spur housing growth

The goals include increased housing density and quicker and cheaper construction. Read how Dallas’ approach stacks up against what experts see coming this year.

By Ryan Kushner • Jan. 16, 2026

Cities should govern less like bureaucracies, more like networks, experts say

Mayors must move toward horizontal, mesh-based operating models to meet demands once handled by state and federal governments, panelists at a Harvard Bloomberg Center webinar said.

By Vicky Uhland • Updated Jan. 16, 2026