Climate & Resilience: Page 2


  • A an autonomous vehicle driving in Las Vegas.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from Uber/Motional on December 07, 2022
    Image attribution tooltip

    Mobility could be transformed by 2035, with US car sales dropping 30%: report

    As cities and consumers move toward new mobility options, “the mobility ecosystem will most likely undergo a transformation not seen since the early days of the automobile,” a McKinsey report says.

    By May 2, 2023
  • LR Electric by Mack Trucks for NYC Sanitation
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by New York Department of Sanitation
    Image attribution tooltip

    Orders of natural gas-fueled and battery-powered waste trucks rose in 2022, report says

    A consulting report anticipates zero-emissions trucks will become “the law of the land” as companies and local governments shift away from diesel.

    By Jacob Wallace • May 1, 2023
  • An aerial view of the Miami skyline. Explore the Trendline
    Image attribution tooltip
    felixmizioznikov/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Trendline

    Smart Cities Dive 2023 Outlook

    In the year ahead, city leaders will continue to face economic headwinds while tackling the housing shortage, rethinking land use, dealing with changes in travel behavior and implementing federal spending programs to electrify and decarbonize cars, buses and buildings.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff
  • A woman asks a question during a public meeting.
    Image attribution tooltip
    SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Women, people of color, renters underrepresented on land-use boards: report

    Homeownership and other requirements could create barriers to participation that “function as inexplicit racial filters,” an Urban Institute report found.

    By Gaby Galvin • April 28, 2023
  • Taxis drive in heavy snow in New York City.
    Image attribution tooltip
    ozgurdonmaz/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Uber, Lyft more responsive to ride demand than taxis are during emergencies: study

    “In light of our findings, service providers and city planners should reevaluate and improve their mobility platform, particularly under emergencies, disasters and hazards,” one researcher said.

    By April 28, 2023
  • A panoramic shot in New York City shows construction cranes dotting the skyline.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Alex Potemkin/E+ via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    First state law banning gas in new buildings likely to pass in New York

    Environmental and social justice advocates worry it will include a “poison pill” provision backed by the oil and gas industry.

    By April 28, 2023
  • Worried about gas ban litigation? After court tosses Berkeley rule, legal experts look at cities’ options

    Other “totally lawful opportunities” exist for local governments to phase out gas in new buildings, such as through building codes, said a senior fellow at Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law.

    By April 27, 2023
  • Elon Musk's Snailbrook community under construction on March 13, 2023 in Bastrop County, Texas.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Brandon Bell/Staff/Getty Images North America via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Elon Musk’s company town plans worry some locals, urban planners

    The plans for Snailbrook, near Boring Co. and future SpaceX manufacturing facilities in central Texas, raise questions about local governance, environmental impacts and more.

    By Adina Solomon • April 24, 2023
  • sand dunes on the florida coast
    Image attribution tooltip
    Mariakray via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    $562M for coastal resiliency projects announced by Commerce Department

    The money from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law will fund nearly 150 projects across the country focused on bolstering the country’s response to climate change.

    By Jennifer Goodman • April 24, 2023
  • A person walking down stairs into the street is ankle deep in floodwater.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Joe Raedle/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Fight or adapt to climate change? It’s ‘a false trade-off’ for cities, climate experts say

    Cities should pursue projects that do both, said panelists at last week’s Cities Climate Action Summit. “A resilient building is also a low-carbon building,” said Jane Gilbert, Miami-Dade County’s chief heat officer.

    By April 24, 2023
  • Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer speaks at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on March 10, 2021, in Washington, D.C.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Tasos Katopodis/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    ARPA funds used to fill city budget gaps, Brookings analysis finds

    Spending American Rescue Plan Act funds on “revenue replacement” allowed localities to free up money for long-term priorities, such as economic development, a Brookings Metro researcher said.

    By Kalena Thomhave • April 21, 2023
  • A creative image depicting cybersecurity that includes a lock.
    Image attribution tooltip
    greenbutterfly/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Cybersecurity best practices for smart cities issued by CISA

    Smart city technologies are at risk “of exploitation for espionage and for financial or political gain by malicious threat actors,” according to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

    By April 21, 2023
  • Los Angeles's downtown skyline enveloped in smog.
    Image attribution tooltip
    David McNew via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Air quality disparity between Eastern and Western states grows as climate change undermines progress: report

    Nearly 64 million U.S. residents lived in counties with a failing grade for daily particle pollution in 2019-2021 — a 10-year high for that measure, according to the American Lung Association’s 24th annual “State of the Air” report.

    By April 19, 2023
  • Dozens of packages are lined up along a Manhattan street as a FedEx truck makes deliveries on December 6, 2021 in New York City.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    New York City to test local delivery hubs

    Microhubs will provide designated locations for trucks to unload items for last-mile delivery providers in a pilot program starting this summer. The city hopes they will curb traffic congestion and lower vehicle emissions. 

    By Max Garland • April 19, 2023
  • A person in a hat walks under sun streaming through tree leaves.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    An ‘early warning system’ for urban drought is this research team’s goal

    The project aims to “provide useable information for decision makers” as many cities turn to trees to address climate change impacts.

    By April 18, 2023
  • Mercy Othello Plaza Apartments TOD March 22, 2019.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Sound Transit
    Image attribution tooltip

    In fast-growing cities, land-use reform could decrease climate pollution, provide housing: report

    As cities nationwide grapple with housing and climate crises, some researchers are examining how land-use decisions may help address these challenges.

    By April 14, 2023
  • A city skyline during the day with several office buildings behind trees.
    Image attribution tooltip
    hallojulie via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Google’s free tree canopy tool now covers hundreds more cities. Here’s how early adopters are using it.

    In Austin and Chicago, the tool has helped empower and engage community members, leaders said. The tech giant plans to expand it to thousands more cities this year. 

    By April 13, 2023
  • Several vehicles lined up along a curb are blurred while in the foreground a white and silver electric vehicle charger is in focus.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Scharfsinn86 via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Booming EV sales amp up the pressure on cities and companies to meet charging demand

    “This is a wake-up call,” an executive at an energy management company said. “The transformation required to enable widespread vehicle electrification will be a massive challenge.”

    By April 13, 2023
  • Construction worker wearing safety harness and safety line working at high place.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Pakorn_Khantiyaporn via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    On infrastructure jobs, OSHA steps up workplace safety enforcement

    As federal funds flood into construction projects thanks to the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is concerned about protecting workers in the infrastructure sector.

    By Julie Strupp • April 12, 2023
  • A sign on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency building in Washington, D.C.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Gromit702/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Tighter EPA vehicle emissions standards may speed up electric vehicle transition

    The new emissions standards would apply to 2027 through 2032 model-year vehicles, but they would not mandate EVs, leaving it up to automakers to decide how to meet the rules.

    By April 12, 2023
  • Three construction workers stand on the roof of a house being rebuilt.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Joe Raedle/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Low-carbon materials eligible for climate resilience, disaster recovery funding: FEMA

    Local governments can access federal funds to buy low-carbon concrete, asphalt, glass and steel through three programs under the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

    By April 11, 2023
  • A person in a hard hat lifts a solar panel on a building in front of the city skyline.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    What will it take to build sustainable cities? Public officials, experts weigh in

    If the Biden administration’s climate investment isn’t spent wisely, it could “lock us into what we're already doing,” said an urban sustainability expert at a Washington Post Live event.

    By April 10, 2023
  • A row of electric vehicle chargers.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Young777 via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The country’s most EV-friendly metro areas

    Electric vehicle charger availability varies widely across the U.S. Of the top 10 U.S. metro areas for electric-vehicle friendliness, more than half are in California, a new report found.

    By Mary Salmonsen • April 10, 2023
  • People walking in a sunny day
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Schneider Electric
    Image attribution tooltip
    Sponsored by Schneider Electric

    How Jersey City’s resiliency plan preps them to weather the storm

    How the leaders of Jersey City ensure that their community remains safe and healthy for generations to come.

    April 10, 2023
  • A line of white cargo vans along an assembly line.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of BrightDrop
    Image attribution tooltip

    With electric delivery vehicles in high demand, GM’s Brightdrop sold out for the year

    The company has over 30 commercial customers covering parcel delivery, retail, rental and service-based utilities.

    By April 7, 2023
  • The curved banner of a Walmart store, the brand name in white letters and the characteristic yellow sunburst logo to the right, against a blue sky.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Daphne Howland/Smart Cities Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Walmart to install EV chargers at thousands of stores by 2030

    The company noted that there’s “a store or club located within 10 miles of approximately 90% of Americans,” putting these chargers in easy reach of most electric vehicle drivers.

    By Jessica Loder • April 7, 2023