How 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

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

Explore the Trendline➔

Energy 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

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

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

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

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

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

Meeting 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

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

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

‘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

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

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

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

Public 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Houston expands multifamily recycling pilot

About half of Houston residents live in apartments, but most lack recycling access. A pilot supported by The Recycling Partnership and Alliance to End Plastic Waste aims to change that.

By Megan Quinn • April 24, 2026

Heat, wildfires drive surge in ozone pollution, report finds

The American Lung Association’s State of the Air report cites ground-level ozone, data centers and EPA actions as clean-air threats, but cities have levers to curb emissions, an ALA director says.

By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • April 23, 2026

5 ways these D.C. suburbs are turning climate goals into local results

Takoma Park, Maryland, and Dumfries, Virginia, are advancing resilience through funding alignment, infrastructure upgrades and resident engagement.

By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • April 22, 2026