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

More public EV charging, including curbside, envisioned in Chicago plan

“By prioritizing equity and public input, we’re creating a roadmap for electric transportation that serves every neighborhood and helps drive down emissions across Chicago,” the city’s transportation department commissioner said.

By Ryan Kushner • April 14, 2025

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

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

Partnerships, density, climate-directed spending put Cincinnati on the path to sustainability

Redirecting community expenditures have helped Cincinnati drive climate progress and operational cost savings.

By Michael Keating • April 11, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

For some cities, the path to sustainability, resilience starts with strong emergency response systems

One of the keys to achieving sustainability goals is by developing a comprehensive framework that can help communities become more resilient.

By Michael Keating • March 27, 2025

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

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

3 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

How cities are prioritizing transparency to combat climate change

City leaders are creating climate change mitigation and adaptation action plans and turning to technology to help them stay on track and keep themselves accountable.

By Francisco J. Conteras and Elizabeth Steward • March 19, 2025

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

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

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

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

Recycling batteries and bulbs can help local governments hit their sustainability targets

City and county administrators can take several steps to make their communities more sustainable, including using local companies for recycling needs.

By Michael Keating • March 10, 2025

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

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

Pilot program in Salem explores ways to mitigate rising flood risks and fill insurance gaps

The public-private pilot program is designed to explore and evaluate measures that could lower flood risks for homeowners and renters and develop a base model that could be replicated in other communities. 

By Ryan Kushner • March 3, 2025

Large-scale sustainability goals are achievable when cities and counties support them

Counties and municipalities can intervene on climate and sustainability in meaningful, large-scale ways by tackling three huge pieces of the climate problem: electricity supply, the built environment and transportation.

By Michael Keating • Feb. 26, 2025

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