What Denver’s climate office learned from early e-bike rebate enthusiasm

Mike Salisbury, transportation energy lead in the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency, explains what inspired the program and how the local government adapted to a huge public response.

By Maria Rachal • Feb. 3, 2023

More urban trees could prevent heat-related deaths: study

As extreme heat and its negative health effects become more widespread, researchers draw a link between increasing tree cover and minimizing mortality.

By Maria Rachal • Feb. 2, 2023

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 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

Transit agencies’ zero-emission bus adoption increased in 2022

California, New York, Florida, Texas and Massachusetts together added more than 1,500 zero-emission transit buses to their fleets.

By Dan Zukowski • Feb. 2, 2023

2023 Smart Cities Outlook

In the year ahead, city leaders will face economic headwinds while tackling the housing shortage and changes in travel behavior and decarbonizing transportation and buildings.

By Michael Brady • Feb. 1, 2023

ChargePoint, Stem strike EV charging and battery storage deal for highway corridor fast-charging networks

Combining charging, battery storage and AI-driven energy management will save money for EV site operators, the companies say.

By Stephen Singer • Feb. 1, 2023

New Jersey adopts law spurring low-carbon concrete

Heralded as a first-of-its-kind law in the U.S., the policy will create tax credits to incentivize the development and procurement of concrete that lowers or captures emissions associated with the highly polluting industry.

By Maria Rachal • Feb. 1, 2023

EV transition not keeping pace with US climate goals: report

Gas-powered cars need tighter regulations for the U.S. to meet its 2030 emissions target, while not enough urban charging or utility upgrades could constrain electrification, one report author said.

By Dan Zukowski • Jan. 31, 2023

Shared-Use Mobility Center highlights opportunities for micromobility in city climate action plans

The role of micromobility is not discussed much in climate action plans, but that could be improved going forward, one Shared-Use Mobility Center representative explained during a webinar last week.

By Maria Rachal • Jan. 30, 2023

New York to have citywide curbside composting by end of 2024, mayor says

The timeline gives the city less than two years to bring curbside composting to all five boroughs, a long-held goal that has eluded city officials through administration changes and budget cuts.

By Maria Rachal • Jan. 27, 2023

NYC to require zero-emission fleets from Uber, Lyft by 2030

“That’s zero emissions for over 100,000 vehicles on our city streets. And it will be achieved with no new costs for individual drivers,” Mayor Eric Adams said in the State of the City address Thursday.

By Maria Rachal • Jan. 27, 2023

How green building policy could evolve in 2023

After reducing energy use in buildings, cutting embodied carbon is next on the green policy agenda for state and local leaders, potentially prompting a shift from concrete and steel to materials like timber or straw, experts say.

By Adina Solomon • Jan. 26, 2023

Analysis of local climate action plans and solid waste planning shows overlapping opportunities

Environmental services firm HDR examined hundreds of solid waste-related actions across city and county climate action plans.

By Maria Rachal • Jan. 26, 2023

El Paso to reconnect neighborhoods divided by highway with deck plaza

The Texas city will work with Stantec on the design and planning for a downtown public space with regional amenities over Interstate 10, which might also be widened as part of the project.

By Dan Zukowski • Jan. 25, 2023

DOT provides $29.4M to repair California roads damaged by floods

The money will support efforts by the state transportation department and four federal agencies to fix highways, bridges and other infrastructure.

By Colin Campbell • Jan. 25, 2023

Electric vehicles near ‘tipping point’ in 2023

Key developments for EV adoption this year include implementing federal incentives, developing a national charging network and addressing utility issues, according to transportation, energy and real estate professionals.

By Robert Walton • Jan. 20, 2023

Nearly all US mayors worry about climate change’s local effects: report

Mayors said their regulatory powers, especially building codes and zoning, are their most effective tools to address climate change. But they are reluctant to limit residents’ behavior or the use of old technology.

By Michael Brady • Jan. 19, 2023

4 trends that could shape smart cities in 2023

These overarching trends affect the decisions communities are making around transportation design, street space, housing and revitalizing downtowns that have struggled with fewer office workers.

By Smart Cities Dive Team • Jan. 13, 2023

From flooding to wildfires, US communities just faced a costly year

The $165 billion and 474 deaths linked to weather and climate disaster events in 2022 make it the third-costliest year on record, U.S. weather scientists reported Tuesday.

By Maria Rachal • Jan. 11, 2023

California storms disrupt transit, Amtrak service

A series of strong winter rain storms led to canceled and delayed trains and flooded a major rail station.

By Dan Zukowski • Jan. 11, 2023

Federal agencies share ‘blueprint’ for transportation decarbonization

Energy, environment, housing and transportation regulators teamed up on strategies to realize a 100% clean electrical grid by 2035 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, with nods to micromobility, zoning reform and more.

By Maria Rachal • Jan. 10, 2023

Madison, Wisconsin, approves complete green streets policy

The capital city’s new guide attempts to align with safety and sustainability goals and provide a more consistent and equitable framework for making decisions about the public right of way.

By Maria Rachal • Jan. 6, 2023

Updating local regulations may ease EV charging rollout

Improved regulations make it easier for developers to “know what they’re getting into,” said one transportation planner.

By Kalena Thomhave • Jan. 4, 2023

13 predictions about the trends that will shape smart cities in 2023

Cities will get smarter about transportation infrastructure needs, continue to rethink the use of downtown spaces and look at where data can help inform various operations, readers said.

By Danielle McLean • Jan. 3, 2023

10 conversations in 2022 on the future of mobility, high-speed rail, resilience and more

Smart Cities Dive caught up with executives from businesses including GM and Replica; officials from Austin, Oakland and other cities; and leaders from the U.S. Congress and Ukraine.

Jan. 3, 2023

Next steps for the Great Lakes region’s circular economy strategy

The Council of the Great Lakes Region and its partners are figuring out the first steps toward implementing a plan released this year. Plastics will be a prime focus in efforts to preserve water quality in the area.

By Katie Pyzyk • Dec. 22, 2022