Climate & Resilience
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4 ways cities can shape data center impact
AI is scaling faster than local codes. Climate Mayors’ new resource aims to help cities navigate hyperscaler expansion and negotiate data center development that strengthens local priorities.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 24, 2026 -
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States sue Energy Department for terminating $8B in clean energy funding
The Trump administration unlawfully bypassed Congress and made politically motivated cuts to programs created through the IRA and IIJA, the lawsuit claims.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 20, 2026 -
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TrendlineTop 5 stories from Smart Cities Dive
From worsening climate change to a shifting transportation landscape and the housing affordability crisis, cities have their work cut out for them.
By Smart Cities Dive staff -
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Oregon mandates heat pumps in new housing
The update to the state’s residential energy code could save residents of housing built after the change an average of $125 a month in energy costs, an analysis found.
By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 19, 2026 -
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Environmental groups are suing the EPA for gutting a key climate rule. Cities and states vow to do the same.
California will challenge EPA’s “endangerment finding” repeal in court. The U.S. Conference of Mayors pledges to "fight for policy that addresses climate change with the seriousness that it requires."
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 19, 2026 -
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A federal judge ordered FEMA to restore BRIC funding in December. States say they’re still waiting.
Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia filed a motion Tuesday contending the agency has failed to comply with the ruling, leaving mitigation grants in limbo. “It is a direct attack on the rule of law itself,” Arizona’s AG said.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 18, 2026 -
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California DOJ probes civil rights violations in Eaton Fire response
Investigators will examine whether evacuation delays in West Altadena, a historically Black community, reflect discrimination tied to race, age or disability.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 17, 2026 -
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FEMAFEMA shutdown threatens local reimbursements, training and long-term recovery
As Congress fails to reach a DHS funding deal, emergency managers are bracing for delayed payments, stalled grants and deeper uncertainty in an already strained federal disaster system.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated Feb. 23, 2026 -
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Trump administration moves to require 100% domestic materials in EV chargers
Renewable energy advocates say the proposal would further delay the buildout of charging station infrastructure and undermine U.S. competitiveness.
By Nathan Owens • Feb. 13, 2026 -
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6 investments to maximize climate resilience
Cities can get the most economic return on their preparedness spending — while protecting jobs and businesses — with these strategies, new research says.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 10, 2026 -
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Kansas City, Missouri, moves to the forefront of data center zoning with new ordinance
U.S. communities are watching closely as Kansas City reclassifies data centers as industrial facilities and launches a review of their impacts on water, power, climate goals and economic growth.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 6, 2026 -
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ColumnBeyond resilience: The case for regenerative, restorative cities
City leaders are redefining resilience as a system that regenerates ecosystems, restores communities and listens to residents.
By Lily Kong • Feb. 5, 2026 -
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The Smart Cities outlook for 2026: Pressure points for city leaders
As cities navigate housing reform, transportation needs, climate resilience, AI and changes in federal funding, 2026 will be a consequential year for how they govern, budget and protect their autonomy.
By Smart Cities Dive Staff • Jan. 30, 2026 -
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How cities are using AI in 2026
“We’re all in learning mode … and looking at it with a wary eye,” one mayor said about AI’s potential for municipal operations. Read more in this 2026 outlook.
By Vicky Uhland and Robyn Lawrence • Updated Feb. 2, 2026 -
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Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Miami metros debate incinerator plans
Advocates continue to pressure officials to close or cut off waste shipments to incinerators in Minneapolis and the Philadelphia area. But progress continues on an incinerator in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
By Jacob Wallace • Jan. 29, 2026 -
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Trump administration must release EV charger funds, court rules
The court order clears the way for states to implement infrastructure plans they’ve worked for years to develop, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy said.
By Diana DiGangi • Jan. 27, 2026 -
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Lawsuits target EPA rollback of coal plant water pollution standards
The plants need flexibility to meet rising electricity demand, the EPA says. Environmental groups argue that undermines Clean Water Act protections for rivers and drinking water sources.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Jan. 23, 2026 -
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Trump administration unlawfully cut clean energy grants, court rules
The decision is a victory for St. Paul, Minnesota, and a coalition of energy and environmental groups that sued the U.S. Department of Energy after it canceled $7.5 billion in financial awards.
By Robert Walton • Jan. 13, 2026 -
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Trump administration sues cities to stop gas appliance bans
Federal courts have been mixed on whether the bans run counter to a federal law that sets appliance efficiency standards, which the government argues preempts the bans.
By Robert Freedman • Jan. 9, 2026 -
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2026 Trends to Watch8 trends that will shape cities in 2026
As federal funding becomes less predictable, cities face major shifts in transportation, housing and climate resilience in the new year.
By Smart Cities Dive Staff • Jan. 8, 2026 -
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2026 Predictions14 predictions about what 2026 may hold for cities
AI, infrastructure needs and shifting mobility patterns will shape how cities function in 2026, experts say.
By Smart Cities Dive Staff • Jan. 7, 2026 -
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Court blocks ‘arbitrary and capricious’ changes to FEMA grants
FEMA’s “abrupt change in policy is particularly harmful to local emergency management,” the judge stated.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Jan. 6, 2026 -
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2026 PredictionsAddressing housing, climate change and AI in an unpredictable year
Community leaders described their efforts to tackle those and other key issues at the annual National League of Cities' City Summit in November.
By Ryan Kushner • Dec. 22, 2025 -
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Emergency managers, meteorologists push back against breakup of NCAR climate research center
Dismantling the nation’s premier weather and climate institution would have “a horrible impact on the local level,” says the chair of the International Association of Emergency Managers USA Weather Caucus.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Dec. 19, 2025 -
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2026 Trends to WatchAppeals court to reexamine EPA’s power to block climate grants
The D.C. Circuit agreed to rehear a ruling that let the Environmental Protection Agency freeze $20 billion in Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund awards.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated Dec. 18, 2025 -
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NYC congestion zone air pollution measure fell 22% in 6 months
Significant emissions reductions in Manhattan’s tolling zone extended to the wider metropolitan New York City area, a Cornell University study found.
By Dan Zukowski • Dec. 17, 2025
