Governance

As infrastructure funds begin to flow, climate, safety, equity impacts are not enough, some say

With most Transportation Department infrastructure funding going to roads and bridges, the money could perpetuate practices that fail to address certain key fronts, critics say.

By Dan Zukowski • Dec. 2, 2021

'The crossroads between climate and equity': Advocates push for transit justice

With the momentum of the just-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill and a growing emphasis on equity, advocates work toward building greater transit justice for underserved communities. 

By Dan Zukowski • Dec. 1, 2021

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Citizen Engagement

With connection more important than ever, cities are tapping innovative tools and strategies to inform and engage their citizens and get feedback on their biggest concerns.

By Smart Cities Dive staff

Transit leaders debate urban mobility myths 'busted' by the pandemic

At the CoMotion LA conference last week, transportation leaders from Miami, Los Angeles and Vancouver reflected on how transit can better serve communities and where universal basic mobility could play a future role. 

By Dan Zukowski • Nov. 24, 2021

Smart cities grapple with equity issues heightened by the pandemic

City leaders aim to help bridge the digital divide while providing better access to education, transportation, jobs and community engagement opportunities. 

By Dan Zukowski • Nov. 23, 2021

Weighing pandemic aftermath, mayors most worried about resident mental health

Other top concerns include learning loss among young people and financial insecurity of low-income residents, according to the Menino Survey of Mayors. 

By Cailin Crowe • Nov. 22, 2021

The future of smart cities: Leaders forecast more digitally just governance

Over the next five years, smart cities will emphasize digital justice, community trust and data-led decisions, city leaders say. But roadblocks — like funding and a public sector aversion to risk — could stand in the way. 

By Cailin Crowe • Nov. 17, 2021

81% of local government officials have faced harassment, abuse: NLC report

Local officials have been on the receiving end of death threats, vandalized homes and outrage in public meetings, the National League of Cities report finds, with the trend accelerating during the pandemic. 

By Jason Plautz • Nov. 15, 2021

Smart city evolution: How cities have stepped back from a 'tech arms race'

Following the 'first wave' of the smart cities movement, local leaders describe how they have largely shifted from a tech-first to a resident-first approach.

By Danielle McLean , Maria Rachal , Dan Zukowski • Nov. 9, 2021

Reassessing the smart cities movement

Smart Cities Dive asked 25 of the largest U.S. cities how they define a "smart city" and how it's evolved, the challenges they've faced in rolling out equitable policies and technologies, and their outlook for what's next.

By the Smart Cities Dive Team • Nov. 9, 2021

Transportation leaders react to passage of infrastructure bill with funds for transit, EVs, rail

Industry advocates and private sector players praised the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as a landmark first step while looking ahead to the Build Back Better Act.

By Dan Zukowski • Nov. 8, 2021

Singapore named smartest global city for third year: report

New York was ranked as the smartest North American city, according to the Institute for Management Development and the Singapore University for Technology and Design’s smart city index.

By Cailin Crowe • Nov. 8, 2021

How crime and policing strategies fared in 6 mayoral races

Public safety was a pivotal issue for voters deciding some tight and high-profile mayoral races, with a mix of reform-minded and pro-police candidates elected from Boston to Seattle.

By Cailin Crowe • Nov. 5, 2021

Traffic deaths soar in first half of 2021 as experts debate best solutions

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is creating a strategy to combat traffic fatalities, which according to an agency report, rose 18% during the first half of 2021.

By Dan Zukowski • Nov. 4, 2021

15 city leaders define a 'smart city'

Smart Cities Dive asked major U.S. cities to weigh in on the past, present and future of their smart city efforts. In the first story of a multipart series, we highlight how city leaders define the term today.

By Danielle McLean • Nov. 2, 2021

Are digital twins the future of urban planning?

Digital 3D models can help city leaders plan for the future, but their value will depend on the data.

By Adina Solomon • Nov. 1, 2021

The pandemic's silver linings for smart cities

Smart Cities Connect participants from Zencity, Vaisala, Passport Labs, IDC, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and elsewhere weighed in on COVID-19's impacts, and also the biggest misconceptions about smart cities.

By Danielle McLean , Rachel Pollack • Oct. 27, 2021

'I get more smiles here': Topeka makes a bid for the remote worker

For many people, crowded and expensive areas like New York or the Bay Area have grown nearly unlivable. The Choose Topeka program has found success dangling up to $15,000 for remote workers to relocate to the Kansas city.

By Emilie Shumway • Oct. 25, 2021

Jaywalking reform efforts see mixed results across states, cities

Policymakers in California, Virginia, Philadelphia and Kansas City, Missouri, are among those who have considered how to promote pedestrian safety while reducing enforcement inequities.

By Maria Rachal • Oct. 22, 2021

National Restaurant Association urges mayors to support expanded outdoor dining through winter

Outdoor dining makes up 20% or more of daily sales at 68% of full-service restaurants, but 61% of these operators can only use their outdoor spaces through October, according to the association. 

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 21, 2021

City strategies evolve on American Rescue Plan spending

Local governments are working through the historic influx of federal funds, including newly available competitive grants, while infrastructure bill dollars remain at bay.

By Maria Rachal • Oct. 14, 2021

6 questions with Smart Columbus on lessons since program's conclusion

The program manager of the USDOT's Smart City Challenge winner reflects on the initiative's challenges, offers key advice for city leaders seeking to implement smart tech and maps out what's next for the city.

By Danielle McLean • Oct. 11, 2021

Regional consortiums create one of the largest US smart cities networks

The National Smart Coalitions Partnership includes more than 100 governments across seven regional consortiums, aiming to lower barriers for local leaders to implement solutions and share best practices.

By Cailin Crowe • Oct. 8, 2021

Rescue funds buoy economic outlooks, but cities eager for infrastructure dollars: NLC report

Many cities lost revenue in FY21, but certain economic and tax changes, plus infusions of direct federal relief, helped them weather the pandemic better than the Great Recession, according to National League of Cities researchers.

By Maria Rachal • Oct. 7, 2021

Smart cities' impact on inequality, privacy, democracy are the focus of a new online program

The Smart Cities for City Officials class from Sweden's Malmö University is "the first online, open-access educational program on smart cities from a social sciences perspective," its co-organizer says.

By Danielle McLean • Oct. 1, 2021

New York City Council passes delivery worker protection laws

The legislation includes a requirement for restaurants to provide couriers access to their bathrooms and set minimum pay for workers, representing the broadest protections in the U.S.

By Julie Littman • Sept. 27, 2021