Climate & Resilience
-
Scott Olson via Getty Images
Cities lose “critical guidance” from climate report: former NOAA official
The National Climate Assessment provides region-specific projections for infrastructure planning, budgeting and emergency preparedness.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • April 30, 2025 -
hallojulie via Getty Images
New policy resource helps cities finance and maintain tree canopies
Trees can mitigate the effects of urban heat islands, lower energy demand and reduce heat-related illnesses, the Smart Surfaces Coalition report states.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • April 28, 2025 -
David Dee Delgado via Getty Images
Nearly half of US residents breathe unhealthy air: report
American Lung Association officials call for city leaders to speak up for federal support of air quality research amid record pollution levels.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • April 23, 2025 -
Megan Varner via Getty Images
Atlanta to launch Climate Resilience Action Plan
The city plans to move forward even as federal support is uncertain and the plan’s focus on energy burden equity has put the program in the Trump administration’s crosshairs.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • April 21, 2025 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
EPA confirms recycling, waste infrastructure grants on track for disbursement
EPA will move forward with awarding the second round of solid waste and recycling grants. The news comes after uncertainty over the status of numerous federal funding opportunities for the waste and recycling sectors.
By Megan Quinn • April 15, 2025 -
Kyle Rivas via Getty Images
Prepare now to protect urban forests from storms
As FEMA funding fades and disasters intensify, risk assessments, standing contracts and debris-management plans are crucial, one conservation director says.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • April 14, 2025 -
Jacob Wallace/Smart Cities Dive
New York City pauses curbside organics enforcement
The city issued tens of thousands of warnings before enforcement began on April 1, but Mayor Eric Adams has since paused that plan through the end of the year for most building owners.
By Jacob Wallace • Updated April 21, 2025 -
RoschetzkyIstockPhoto via Getty Images
Denver adds flexibility to building performance guidelines
Following public input, including some backlash from building owners, the new rules will push back compliance deadlines, remove electrification report requirements and reduce penalty rates, the city said.
By Joe Burns • April 9, 2025 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
America’s aging water infrastructure faces new threats
The U.S. urgently needs to increase funding to shore up facilities, experts say, as climate change and emerging contaminants like PFAS pose growing threats.
By Julie Strupp • April 1, 2025 -
Spencer Platt via Getty Images
Preparing manufactured homes for extreme weather: 5 barriers
Zoning, financing and other regulations can leave this more affordable form of housing vulnerable. Some communities are addressing the risk.
By Leslie Nemo • April 1, 2025 -
CasarsaGuru via Getty Images
New Mexico occupational safety bureau advances heat safety rule
If passed, the state would be the sixth to implement its own heat-related guidance, after a federal standard appears to have lost steam.
By Zachary Phillips • March 31, 2025 -
Sean Rayford/Getty Images via Getty Images
FEMA disaster preparedness role could decrease following Trump executive order
The administration plans to publish a national resilience strategy with further details within 90 days, it said.
By Ryan Kushner • March 28, 2025 -
Alex Wong via Getty Images
US infrastructure gets a C, its highest grade ever, in ASCE report card
Infrastructure needs long-term, continuous investment to maintain and continue to improve, however, the civil engineering group said.
By Michelle M. Havich • March 26, 2025 -
Dan Zukowski/Smart Cities Dive
Nearly 3,000 city leaders gathered in Washington last week. Here’s what they had to say.
Mayors, council members and nonprofit leaders heard from Vice President JD Vance, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and others at the National League of Cities meeting.
By Dan Zukowski • March 21, 2025 -
MattGush via Getty Images
Opinion3 concerns about California’s neighborhood decarbonization pilot program
Decarbonization is essential to achieve carbon neutrality, but tenants and low-income homeowners might pay a steep price due to factors they can’t control.
By Teresa Linares • March 20, 2025 -
Dan Zukowski/Smart Cities Dive
City leaders name housing, public safety and infrastructure as top issues
The National League of Cities Congressional City Conference brought together 3,000 city leaders to discuss these issues, with appearances from EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Vice President JD Vance.
By Dan Zukowski • March 18, 2025 -
Retrieved from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
EPA to end environmental justice programs, monitoring tools
As part of the Trump administration’s end to environmental justice programs, it has cut off access to EJScreen, a monitoring tool used to track environmental justice metrics.
By Megan Quinn • March 14, 2025 -
Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
EPA revisiting dozens of climate, environment rules in ‘day of deregulation’
The agency said it would roll back a range of rules and programs, including some that are foundational to its efforts to address climate change. A new WOTUS definition is expected, as well as rollbacks to an emissions reporting program.
By Jacob Wallace • March 13, 2025 -
Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
DOT removes equity, environmental factors from IIJA funding decisions
The move rolls back a Biden-era policy that included these considerations in decision-making criteria for infrastructure projects.
By Julie Strupp • March 12, 2025 -
Mario Tama via Getty Images
California wildfire air pollution insights coming from air sensor network
Residents can track localized pollution, including particles from the wildfires that tore across Los Angeles in January, thanks to improvements in air quality sensor tech.
By Kalena Thomhave • March 10, 2025 -
Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
EPA $20B funding freeze leaves ‘green bank’ nonprofits unable to pay bills
“Local projects across the country will be unable to move forward without legal intervention” if EPA or Citibank does not unfreeze the funds, a Climate United Fund spokesperson said.
By Diana DiGangi • March 4, 2025 -
Kent Nishimura via Getty Images
FEMA halts enforcement of flood rebuild rule, New York Times reports
By not requiring buildings at risk of repeated flooding to be elevated or moved, the government isn’t saving money, critics say.
By Robert Freedman • Feb. 19, 2025 -
Mark Makela via Getty Images
Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro sues Trump administration, citing frozen IRA funding
The state’s agencies have limited access to over $3.1 billion in funding for activities including distributed solar deployment, well plugging and weatherization, according to the lawsuit.
By Diana DiGangi • Feb. 18, 2025 -
Marcio Silva via Getty Images
Boston expands net-zero emissions requirements to new buildings, large additions
The zoning change requires most new buildings to be net zero when they open. The city previously set similar performance standards for existing buildings.
By Joe Burns • Feb. 4, 2025 -
OlegAlbinsky via Getty Images
The Smart Cities Outlook for 2025: Change is coming
From new federal policies to growing technologies like AI and robotaxis, cities will encounter many changes while they continue to tackle housing, homelessness, climate and equity issues.
By Smart Cities Dive Staff • Jan. 31, 2025
