Climate & Resilience
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Permission granted by City of Los Angeles
Los Angeles is reimagining parks as water infrastructure
The network of park-based stormwater capture projects is designed to help replenish aquifers, improve water quality and enhance climate resilience in underserved neighborhoods.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • May 27, 2026 -
Retrieved from Hennepin County.
Community groups sue EPA to tighten its incinerator rules
A coalition is again taking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to court over its Clean Air Act rules for large municipal waste combustors, two months after the agency finalized the regulation.
By Jacob Wallace • May 27, 2026 -
Explore the Trendline➔
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TrendlineEnergy Codes and Building Performance Standards
Cities are using these levers to meet climate goals and address everything from data centers to building decarbonization.
By Smart Cities Dive staff -
Permission granted by Schneider Electric
Sponsored by Schneider ElectricHow public-private partnerships are powering the next generation of smart cities
El Paso’s ongoing partnership with Schneider Electric advances economic growth and sustainability.
May 26, 2026 -
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Green infrastructureHow 4 cities are reshaping parks into strategic climate and community infrastructure
Urban parks can boost resilience, improve stormwater management and advance neighborhood equity, strengthening social cohesion in the process, the parks’ developers say.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • May 22, 2026 -
Permission granted by City of Cincinnati
Cincinnati is turning a blighted former landfill into a solar energy hub
A public-private partnership with a hybrid financing structure will reduce emissions, generate cost savings for residents and support environmental justice goals, the city’s sustainability chief says.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • May 20, 2026 -
Michael M. Santiago/ via Getty Images
FEMA’s $1B BRIC relaunch prioritizes shovel-ready projects
Communities with mature project plans, early benefit-cost analyses and proven delivery capacity will be best positioned to win resilience dollars, experts say.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • May 19, 2026 -
Sponsored by PCL Construction
The journey to low-carbon concrete
Concrete is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. PCL is testing smart, low‑carbon solutions.
May 18, 2026 -
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Cities sound alarm on crumbling water infrastructure
Aging assets, stricter regulations, climate risks and fiscal restraints are contributing to problems long hidden underground, a new National League of Cities report finds.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • May 15, 2026 -
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Aging infrastructure, climate risks shake water sector confidence: report
Century-old systems, extreme weather, cyberthreats and regulatory inconsistencies threaten future water supply and resilience, the American Water Works Association found.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated May 14, 2026 -
Noam Galai via Getty Images
These 12 cities are leading on environmental health, African American Mayors Association says
AAMA and the Community Data Health Initiative are highlighting municipalities using data, partnerships and targeted infrastructure strategies to address heat, pollution and lead risks.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated May 15, 2026 -
Permission granted by GAF
Sponsored by GAFMeeting the demand for resilient construction
GAF, in alliance with IBHS, has trained 1,100+ roofing professionals to install FORTIFIED™ roofs, helping communities meet growing demand for resilient homes.
May 11, 2026 -
Cole Rosengren/Smart Cities Dive
Providence, Rhode Island, updates recycling, organics with $3.6M in grants
Free commercial recycling service, residential recycling carts and organics infrastructure are among the changes the city has made with the help of EPA and USDA funding.
By Cole Rosengren • May 8, 2026 -
Octavio Jones via Getty Images
FEMA Review Council pushes disaster responsibility to cities, states
The council’s final report recommends streamlining aid programs, accelerating funding delivery and giving local governments greater operational and financial obligation for emergency management.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • May 8, 2026 -
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‘Supplemental’ municipal utility begins solar-and-storage installations in Ann Arbor, Michigan
The Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility will use locally sited solar, batteries and other resources to improve reliability and lower costs for subscribers, city officials say.
By Brian Martucci • May 7, 2026 -
Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
DOJ sues Minnesota to block climate lawsuit against oil companies
Only the federal government can regulate greenhouse gas emissions, the suit argues, escalating a legal fight over whether state and local governments can pursue damages tied to climate change.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • May 6, 2026 -
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
7 ways cities are hardwiring climate action
Embedding climate into procurement, zoning and infrastructure decisions while reframing it as a quality-of-life issue is unlocking support for resilience in Cleveland, Miami and Boise, Idaho.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • May 5, 2026 -
Permission granted by Voltpost
Washington, D.C., grants over $600,000 for EV charging stations
The D.C. Department of Energy and Environment is splitting the grants among three companies, including one that retrofits them into existing infrastructure and was previously awarded IIJA grants.
By Lamar Johnson • May 4, 2026 -
Mario Tama via Getty Images
OpinionPublic buildings can power community resilience
Sustainability strategies are also the foundation of resilient design, which prepares public buildings to serve as lifelines when disaster strikes.
By Jeff Kuhnhenn • May 4, 2026 -
Permission granted by Jean Schwarzwalder/NYC Environmental Protection
This New York City leader unlocked a century of data, turning paper files into actionable intelligence
Smart Cities Dive Public Service Award winner Janet Aristy is modernizing New York City's infrastructure systems while empowering the next generation of public servants.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • April 30, 2026 -
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Housing energy efficiency requirements rescinded by HUD, USDA
The 2021 International Energy Conservation Code added $20,000 to the cost of new home construction, according to Trump administration estimates.
By Ryan Kushner • April 29, 2026 -
Scott Eisen via Getty Images
Boston’s climate plan focuses on local execution, accountability as federal support shrinks
The city is using dashboards, pilots and partnerships to cut emissions, build resilience at the neighborhood level and “bring more happiness and justice” to Bostonians.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • April 29, 2026 -
Mario Tama via Getty Images
Water reuse is essential for economic growth, the EPA says. Experts see obstacles ahead.
EPA’s Water Reuse Action Plan 2.0 positions recycled water as critical to industries like semiconductors and data centers, but local capacity, policy gaps and lingering stigma could complicate delivery, an expert says.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • April 28, 2026 -
Mark Makela via Getty Images
City and state climate litigation would be banned under new federal GOP bill
The Stop Climate Shakedowns Act would strip local governments and others of legal pathways to hold energy companies liable for climate-related costs and assert federal authority over greenhouse gas emissions.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • April 27, 2026 -
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Cities sue EPA for failing to uphold soot standard
“By ignoring the legal responsibility to uphold its own rule, U.S. EPA is willfully abandoning the agency’s duties under the Clean Air Act,” California Air Resources Board Chair Lauren Sanchez said.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • April 27, 2026 -
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Who gets shade first? Austin, Texas, uses Google Earth data to decide.
By layering heat risk, demographics and tree canopy data, the city is prioritizing vulnerable neighborhoods as extreme heat intensifies.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • April 24, 2026
