‘Mayors are angry’: Puerto Rico cities lack federal funds for hurricane recovery

Federal funds are too slow to arrive, and local resiliency plans require money to begin implementation, Ponce Mayor María Meléndez told Smart Cities Dive. 

By Chris Teale • Sept. 11, 2019

Knight Foundation invests $2.15M for the arts in St. Paul, MN

While arts funding may seem extraneous to a smart city, a survey found "aesthetics" are among the most important city elements to residents. 

By Jason Plautz • Sept. 10, 2019

NACTO calls for congestion pricing, real-time monitoring to aid AV rollout

Autonomous technologies can benefit traffic and transit in the near-term, but the report warns against over-reliance on drones and delivery robots.

By Chris Teale • Sept. 10, 2019

Micromobility could replace 48% of car trips in 10 US cities

If a fraction of car trips were replaced by shared bikes and scooters, cities would experience less congestion, reduced emissions and an economic boost. 

By Cailin Crowe • Sept. 9, 2019

City grids risk being overwhelmed by EV growth

Electricity supplies could suffer without partnerships between utilities and city agencies, The Rocky Mountain Institute and Seattle City Light warned. 

By Chris Teale • Sept. 9, 2019

APTA calls for late-night transit to help service-sector workers

Late-shift workers in metropolitan areas are 40% less likely to commute via public transit if there are inadequate connections, according to the association. 

By Chris Teale • Sept. 5, 2019

Google parent Alphabet moves into infrastructure investing

Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners will launch alongside the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan to scale "technology-enabled" urban development.

By Chris Teale • Sept. 4, 2019

Pension tension

When altering pension plans to relieve financial pressure, cities must balance realistic funding with satisfying employees.

By Jason Axelrod • Sept. 3, 2019

Local governments will use Facebook to send emergency alerts

The platform began testing alerts last year to help government agencies spread information about crises like flash floods, shootings and bomb threats.

By Kristin Musulin • Aug. 30, 2019

St. Louis, DHS team up for smart city pilot

The pilot program will help the city improve its emergency response to extreme weather with flood, video and route management sensors. 

By Cailin Crowe • Aug. 30, 2019

Shelby County Commission passes $15/hour minimum wage for government workers

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.Some employees...

By Jason Axelrod • Aug. 28, 2019

Phoenix voters substantially back light rail expansion

Residents voted against a plan that would block extensions of the Valley Metro system to instead invest in automobile infrastructure.

By Chris Teale • Aug. 28, 2019

Austin, TX to increase green job access for people of color

The initiative will disperse grants between $10,000 and $50,000 each for equitable workforce development and green job opportunities.

By Cailin Crowe • Aug. 28, 2019

Letter calls on Congress to try again on federal AV legislation

The lack of federal AV legislation has led to concerns about a patchwork of state laws, so the onus is on Congress to get something done. 

By Chris Teale • Aug. 27, 2019

Chicago government imposes hiring freeze to offset major budget deficit

The country’s third-largest city has imposed a hiring freeze as it faces a major shortfall in its budget.

By Jason Axelrod • Aug. 26, 2019

‘We’re really early in the game’: Regulating and harnessing blockchain’s future

NYC Blockchain Center Executive Director Kimberly Quinones discussed the importance of a "two-way dialogue" between regulators and entrepreneurs. 

By Chris Teale • Aug. 26, 2019

Chicago buildings saved $74M from energy benchmarking: report

The city released its 2019 Energy Benchmarking report, finding participating buildings reduced emissions 15%, equal to removing 200,000 cars annually.

By Katie Pyzyk • Updated April 8, 2021

RMI calls for national mandates on EV purchases, AV testing

The Rocky Mountain Institute warned the U.S. could fall further behind on new mobility options without stronger central leadership.

By Chris Teale • Aug. 23, 2019

What cities can learn from Stockholm’s congestion pricing plan

Sweden's capital is one of few cities in the world to implement the strategy, winning public opinion by showing quick results. 

By Chris Teale • Aug. 22, 2019

Can a city solve homelessness with an app?

As cities deploy community-facing apps to alleviate homelessness, questions linger around who the tech is intended to benefit.

By Kira Barrett • Aug. 21, 2019

Spokane officials call for Washington rep’s resignation following claims of surveillance

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.Local lead...

By Jason Axelrod • Aug. 20, 2019

Postmates to deploy autonomous delivery robots in San Francisco

After the vehicles were banned in 2017, Postmates worked with San Francisco on regulations that would allow the vehicles to re-enter city streets. 

By Cailin Crowe • Aug. 19, 2019

Can incentives pull talent away from dominant metro areas?

As U.S. workers increasingly gravitate toward a select few cities, other localities hope extra perks can give them an edge.

By Ryan Golden • Aug. 16, 2019

NLC calls on cities to consider congestion pricing

A new guide suggests that cities of all sizes should be proactive and consider congestion pricing as a way to ease traffic and improve quality of life.

By Katie Pyzyk • Aug. 15, 2019

FAA grants approval for drone food delivery pilot in North Carolina

The drones will travel along a single fixed route from a distribution center to an outdoor recreational area over mostly unpopulated areas. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 15, 2019