NYC region faces significant health inequities: report

All decisions made in the region, from building more housing to expanding highways, affect public health outcomes, one of the report's authors said.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 24, 2023

Collecting data to support energy-burdened communities poses unique challenges, experts say

Census data isn’t collected often enough to reflect neighborhood demographic shifts, and asking communities to self-report can present additional burdens, panelists said at a clean energy summit.

By Diana DiGangi • May 24, 2023

Explore the Trendline➔

Smart Cities Dive 2023 Outlook

In the year ahead, city leaders will continue to face economic headwinds while tackling the housing shortage, rethinking land use, dealing with changes in travel behavior and implementing federal spending programs to electrify and decarbonize cars, buses and buildings.

By Smart Cities Dive staff

The ‘infrastructure decade’ is here, but challenges loom for local governments at the helm

“Money is flowing, grant applications are live, private capital is ready to move. But there are real constraints to achieving public goals,” Brookings Metro Senior Fellow Adie Tomer said at an event last week.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 23, 2023

Feds to give ‘first-of-its-kind’ homelessness support to California and 5 cities

The “ALL INside” initiative will work closely for up to two years with selected communities, including Dallas and Chicago, offering each the assistance of a dedicated federal official.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 19, 2023

Los Angeles mayor announces next steps in plan to build shelters, housing on city properties

Mayor Karen Bass said she would spend the rest of her term trying to make “the disposition and development of City owned land faster, cheaper, and more streamlined” in a Tuesday letter to the public.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 18, 2023

How NYC is preparing its infrastructure for extreme weather

Thu-Loan Dinh, who helps lead infrastructure design for the city’s Department of Design and Construction, discusses the agency’s biggest resilience concerns and how to address them.

By Julie Strupp • May 17, 2023

Rents continue rising, with moderate growth expected through 2023

Major U.S. metros, except Phoenix and Las Vegas, experienced rent increases from March to April, a new report found.

By Mary Salmonsen • May 15, 2023

Housing is increasingly unaffordable for teachers in many metropolitan areas

Rental costs can range from 47% of a teacher’s salary in San Francisco to 17% in Wichita, Kansas, according to a National Council on Teacher Quality analysis.

By Anna Merod • May 12, 2023

Parking minimums will soon be history in Austin, Texas

“Our priority should be allowing space for people rather than mandating space for cars,” City Council member Zohaib Qadri said.

By Michael Brady • May 12, 2023

Bank failures could slow new apartment construction

Last year’s interest rate hikes have made it more challenging to get construction loans, which could slow multifamily construction starts by 60%, one real estate executive said.

By Leslie Shaver • May 9, 2023

Advocates push for housing owned by communities, rather than by investors

It’s still unclear what broad-scale programs would look like, but there is some evidence that decommodifying housing can work.

By Gaby Galvin • May 4, 2023

California spent $1.3B in cap-and-trade funds on climate, equity projects in 2022

The California Climate Investments funding addressed affordable housing, transportation, energy costs, extreme heat, fire, access to clean drinking water and more, a California Air Resources Board official said.

By Kalena Thomhave • May 2, 2023

Affordable, all-electric and energy-efficient housing gets $15M boost from NYC initiative

The initiative “will demonstrate to the affordable housing market a highly replicable new construction solution,” said Doreen Harris, president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

By Ysabelle Kempe • May 2, 2023

Women, people of color, renters underrepresented on land-use boards: report

Homeownership and other requirements could create barriers to participation that “function as inexplicit racial filters,” an Urban Institute report found.

By Gaby Galvin • April 28, 2023

Los Angeles’ Fashion District rezoning plan to include affordable housing

A key City Council committee agreed this week to add provisions for affordable housing and preserve manufacturing ahead of next month’s vote.

By Lara Ewen • April 27, 2023

Arizona GOP bill allowing hotels to say no to housing vouchers vetoed by governor

Hotels and motels in Arizona have never been required to accept a voucher to house someone, and no proposal to do so is under consideration, Gov. Katie Hobbs, D, said in a statement.

By Jenna Walters • April 24, 2023

Elon Musk’s company town plans worry some locals, urban planners

The plans for Snailbrook, near Boring Co. and future SpaceX manufacturing facilities in central Texas, raise questions about local governance, environmental impacts and more.

By Adina Solomon • April 24, 2023

ARPA funds used to fill city budget gaps, Brookings analysis finds

Spending American Rescue Plan Act funds on “revenue replacement” allowed localities to free up money for long-term priorities, such as economic development, a Brookings Metro researcher said.

By Kalena Thomhave • April 21, 2023

How an arts program supported Seattle public housing residents during redevelopment project

Public housing units nationwide need repairs and renovations. This arts program offers one way to ease the burden on residents during redevelopment, according to a Seattle Housing Authority report.

By Michael Brady • April 17, 2023

In fast-growing cities, land-use reform could decrease climate pollution, provide housing: report

As cities nationwide grapple with housing and climate crises, some researchers are examining how land-use decisions may help address these challenges.

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 14, 2023

To prevent housing displacement, Austin, Texas, wants to pay neighbors to help neighbors

The program aims to better connect lower-income residents to housing assistance, as Austin rents and home values soar. 

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 6, 2023

Economic uncertainty, financing issues causing construction delays

Material prices are growing at a much slower pace than a year ago, according to a new National Multifamily Housing Council quarterly survey, and the labor market is showing signs of improvement.

By Mary Salmonsen • April 5, 2023

Evictions rose in cities after a national moratorium ended in 2021

There are many policies cities can use to protect renters from losing their homes aside from eviction bans, housing experts say.

By Karen Kroll • April 4, 2023

Less-restrictive zoning can increase supply of market-rate housing, new research shows

But other strategies may be needed to boost affordable housing, according to a first-of-its-kind Urban Institute study.

By Michael Brady • April 4, 2023

NYC launches online portal for city services, benefits

Mayor Eric Adams said the online portal, dubbed MyCity, would make it easier for residents to apply for benefits by reducing bureaucracy and red tape.

By Michael Brady • March 31, 2023