Mayor Michael Tubbs has a dream of UBI

The young Stockton, CA mayor has taken inspiration from the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. in advocating for a guaranteed income, most recently through the launch of a national mayoral coalition. 

By Kristin Musulin • July 27, 2020

$1.2M grant to turn NYC’s closed streets into kid-friendly play spaces

The grant will support the Fresh Air Fund's new Summer Spaces and Youth Employment Programs in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens.

By Chris Teale • July 27, 2020

The case for C-suite engagement on climate risk

Climate change is recognized as a potential threat to the bottom line. Your company's response to it could be a strategic driver of value.

By Peter Schultz, Brad Hurley and Andrew Eil • July 23, 2020

Seattle creates ‘Digital Bridge’ program for low-income job seekers

The program will provide participants with free laptops and broadband connectivity in a bid to bolster digital skills and close the digital divide.

By Chris Teale • July 22, 2020

COVID-19 is amplifying anxiety, depression in largest US metro areas

U.S. Census Bureau data found a majority of residents in the 15 largest metro areas are anxious or depressed, with Riverside, CA at the top of both lists.

By Kristin Musulin • July 20, 2020

San Diego looks to donate used computers to families in need

The city may partner with the San Diego Futures Foundation to redistribute end-of-life machines to the nearly 30,000 city households that lack one.

By Chris Teale • July 20, 2020

Tackling evictions, housing and the prison-to-homelessness pipeline

In a virtual town hall hosted by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, leaders gathered to discuss the disproportionate effect of the pandemic on homeless groups. 

By Cailin Crowe • July 16, 2020

Risky business: The wins and losses of pandemic-era urban mobility

During a Knight Foundation webinar, mobility leaders discussed the ups and downs that have occurred nationally as transit agencies work to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.

By Cailin Crowe • July 15, 2020

Biden outlines $2T plan to invest in renewables, electrification

Joe Biden said now is an "incredible opportunity" to recover from COVID-19 in a way that tackles climate change and creates jobs.

By Emma Penrod • July 15, 2020

Uber rolls out mobile ticketing for 13 Ohio, Kentucky transit agencies

Uber Transit Ticketing will provide riders with in-app ticketing options and trip planning information in an effort to boost public transit ridership.

By Chris Teale • July 15, 2020

Calls to ‘defund the police’ are upending FY21 budgets. Here’s how.

In this interactive report, Smart Cities Dive details how each state's largest city adjusted its public safety funding — if at all — amid demands for reallocations of police budgets.

By Kristin Musulin, Cailin Crowe • July 15, 2020

Apple invests $400M in California housing as US faces ‘tidal wave of evictions’

The company's $2.5 billion pledge toward the state's affordable housing crisis comes as California grapples with record-breaking unemployment.

By Cailin Crowe • July 14, 2020

The ADA is turning 30, but the built environment is still far from inclusive

While many cities have shown efforts to implement accessible design since the 1990 adoption of the American Disabilities Act, more must be done.

By Steve Wright • July 14, 2020

Adapting to the “new normal”: Lessons learned and best practices for a post-COVID 19 workplace

Pre-COVID-19, public sector employers generally took a more cautious approach to remote work arrangements, especially when compared to their private sector counterparts.

By Oliver Yee, Alysha Stein-Manes • July 13, 2020

Boston residents of color more likely to live by high-polluting roads

Fifty-four percent of Latino residents, 45% of Black residents and 47% of Asian residents live in high-polluted areas, exacerbating health issues that can increase COVID-19 vulnerability.

By Cailin Crowe • July 10, 2020

CivStart shares inclusivity task force roster

The cohort of public and private leaders — many of whom represent minority communities — will develop a roadmap of action plans to foster inclusive and diverse govtech ecosystems.

By Kristin Musulin • July 9, 2020

Philadelphia to get branding makeover with new online identity

A recent request for proposals calls for an online toolkit vendor that would help local organizations create a "cohesive and compelling global identity" for the region.

By Chris Teale • July 9, 2020

Michigan charts a multimodal future with new mobility office

Chief Mobility Officer Trevor Pawl said the newly created office will unify state-level initiatives, inspired in part by work already done in Detroit and elsewhere.

By Chris Teale • July 8, 2020

COVID-19 has temporarily turned an Atlanta golf course into a public ‘oasis’

An 80-year-old golf course in Chastain Memorial Park is now the subject of a 60-day sharing experiment to rethink the use of public space. 

By Adina Solomon • July 7, 2020

Knoxville, TN data published online after ransomware attack

Hackers published information and data in a bid to extract a ransom payment and "shame victims," a city spokeswoman told Smart Cities Dive.

By Chris Teale • July 7, 2020

Boston is second-largest US city to ban facial recognition

Mayor Marty Walsh signed the ban amid a national debate around police reform, which has included a reckoning on the potential inequities of facial recognition tech.

By Jason Plautz • July 6, 2020

Are you ready for your sports facility to become a temporary hospital?

Editor's note: This article was originally published in American City & County, which has merged with Smart Cities Dive to bring you expanded coverage of city innovation and local government. For the latest in smart city news, explore Smart Cities Dive or sign up for our newsletter.If a “wors...

By Kevin Kelley, Andrea Austin • July 6, 2020

LA, Chicago tap social media to refine mask guidance

In a webinar hosted by Zencity, chief leaders from Chicago and Los Angeles detailed how social media has played a role in communicating and improving face mask guidance.

By Kristin Musulin • July 2, 2020

House Dems propose net-zero emissions by 2050

The climate proposal urges building, transportation and industrial electrification, and notably does not call for an end to natural gas fracking.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 1, 2020

Connecticut DOT to run first automated transit bus in US

CTDOT received a $2 million grant to deploy the program along a 9-mile transit corridor, including three 40-foot battery electric heavy-duty buses. 

By Cailin Crowe • June 30, 2020