Climate & Resilience
-
Spencer Platt via Getty Images
New data tool helps Gulf Coast cities pursue disaster funding as federal resources shrink
The Urban Institute’s analysis gives local leaders information they can use to build cases for prevention and recovery support.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Aug. 28, 2025 -
Permission granted by Water Wise Gulf South
Deep DiveAfter Katrina, green infrastructure aims to supplement the rebuilt — but still vulnerable — levees
Residents and activists are forging resilient communities and implementing “flood mitigation by 1,000 cuts.”
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Aug. 27, 2025 -
Explore the Trendline➔
jamesteohart via Getty Images
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 -
Mario Tama via Getty Images
Hurricane Katrina’s legacy is a warning for today’s city leaders
Twenty years after New Orleans flooded, federal funding cuts mean local governments must strengthen hazard planning, engage communities and prioritize vulnerable residents to prevent another avoidable disaster, climate advocates say.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Aug. 22, 2025 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
OpinionCalifornia’s clean mobility push is leaving low-income residents behind
E-bikes and e-scooters are among the cleanest and least expensive transportation modes. California can make equitable green mobility a reality.
By Marta Anadón Rosinach • Aug. 21, 2025 -
Silvia Moraleja via Getty Images
Should schools be the centerpiece of heat resilience action?
As federal support to protect people from extreme heat shrinks, advocates say local governments must set a model for climate-smart leadership with enforceable standards and resources to protect children.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Aug. 19, 2025 -
Permission granted by AirJoule Technologies
Texas city pioneers tech that uses waste heat to generate drinking water
AirJoule’s first U.S. field deployment will tap into a geothermal well to turn air into distilled water for the municipal supply.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Aug. 13, 2025 -
Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
What NEPA rollbacks mean for local projects
The Trump administration’s elimination of environmental regulations based on the 1970 law could mean faster permitting but reduce cities’ recourse for weighing in on federally funded projects in their communities, experts say.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Aug. 11, 2025 -
DutcherAerials via Getty Images
California cities, Nevada State University join forces on climate resilience
Seven public agencies are partnering with Urban Land Institute to develop strategies for extreme heat, disaster preparedness and resilient housing.
By Lori Tobias • Aug. 11, 2025 -
Adam Gray via Getty Images
AI could cut disaster infrastructure losses by 15%, new research finds
Artificial intelligence applications like predictive maintenance and digital twins can help keep the power on and the roads open during natural disasters — and save $70 billion in infrastructure losses by 2050, according to a Deloitte Global report.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Aug. 6, 2025 -
Permission granted by Wenk Associates
Denver development recruits its river for urban flood control
The River Mile project is treating the South Platte River as natural infrastructure, delivering flood protection, recreation and economic opportunity on land once considered undevelopable.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Aug. 4, 2025 -
Michael Ciaglo via Getty Images
Xcel Energy ‘prepared to go to trial’ to fight Colorado fire liability
The company contends that it did not start the late 2021 Colorado blaze, which caused an estimated $2 billion in damages.
By Emma Penrod • Aug. 4, 2025 -
BackyardProduction via Getty Images
EPA’s move to gut key climate regulation raises stakes for city leaders
A repeal of the endangerment finding would make local climate policy a new battleground in continuing tensions between the Trump administration and cities, a legal scholar suggests.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • July 30, 2025 -
varbenov via Getty Images
Municipal codes, financial incentives are driving the retrofitting boom, new research finds
Nearly half of building executives surveyed believe retrofits meet urban space needs better than new construction, but many cities lack the policy muscle to make them scalable.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • July 29, 2025 -
Courtesy of Planet
Colorado regulators press forward with landfill rule despite industry pushback
The proposal, which would be among the strictest in the nation, could be approved as soon as August.
By Jacob Wallace • July 24, 2025 -
Permission granted by Siemens Mobility
NY transit authority orders nation’s first battery-electric passenger locomotive
Siemens Mobility will supply locomotives that can run on batteries or overhead wire, up to 125 mph and with a range of up to 100 miles on battery power alone.
By Dan Zukowski • Updated Aug. 1, 2025 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
OpinionCalifornia’s clean mobility push is leaving low-income residents behind
Rebates for electric bikes in California have been successful but can leave out people who most need an alternative to private vehicles and public transit.
By Marta Anadón Rosinach • July 22, 2025 -
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
3 keys to building climate resilience from the ground up
Cross-department alignment, community engagement and data are essential for preparing communities to weather climate crises, experts say.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • July 22, 2025 -
Mindful Media via Getty Images
Bill seeks to fill federal void on heat protection for public workers
Proposed legislation backed by AFSCME and other major unions could raise the bar for how cities protect municipal workers from rising temperatures.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • July 21, 2025 -
Spencer Platt via Getty Images
Deep DiveHow to protect employees from heat and other climate extremes
Clear protocols for identifying heat illness, safety training, paid breaks and access to water and shade are among the steps cities can take to protect workers as temperatures rise.
By Ryan Golden • July 21, 2025 -
Eric Vryn via Getty Images
Local officials hold the key to life-saving flood and weather warnings
Accurate weather warnings are useless if they don’t reach residents in time. Take these steps to avoid mistakes that may have contributed to the tragedy in Texas.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated July 17, 2025 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
$10B lawsuit targets LA over ‘epic failures’ in Palisades Fire
Class action and amended complaints accuse city and state agencies of negligence, mismanagement and cover-up in the January fire.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • July 16, 2025 -
Allison Joyce via Getty Images
Most states couldn’t afford disaster recovery without FEMA: report
Cities may need to establish their own recovery and resilience funds because only a handful of states are prepared to absorb proposed FEMA cuts, the Urban Institute found.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • July 15, 2025 -
DustyPixel/iStock via Getty Images
California issues key updates on climate-risk disclosure laws
The state’s laws on emissions and financial risk reporting signal a shift in regulatory expectations that could serve as a blueprint for other states weighing similar legislation.
By Zoya Mirza • July 15, 2025 -
Brandon Bell via Getty Images
5 steps cities can take to prevent a flood tragedy like Kerr County’s
Cities and counties can strengthen their defenses — even on tight budgets — with smarter maps, stronger codes and regional coordination, a flood expert says.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated July 16, 2025 -
Greggory DiSalvo via Getty Images
Cities sue Trump administration over termination of climate justice grants
Local governments say the EPA’s blanket cancellation of equity-related funding jeopardizes climate resilience efforts, air quality monitoring, flood mitigation and tree planting.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • July 11, 2025
