The Latest

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    Puget Sound Energy is turning to EVs for backup power and grid support

    The utility is partnering with Ford and Kia to test whether electric vehicles can keep homes running and support grid resilience during outages.

  • Wood frames for homes under construction surrounded by dirt with a concrete road in the foreground.
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    Trump housing order could mean new barriers to federal funding for cities

    Local governments may need to ease zoning and environmental rules to stay eligible for federal support, an attorney says.

  • Detroit, Michigan, USA downtown skyline from above at dusk.
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    Detroit to dedicate 100% of city-owned commercial property sales proceeds to affordable housing fund

    The measure is expected to generate $4 million annually for affordable housing development and preservation.

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    Courtesy of Courtney Steger

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    Nominate someone today for the 2026 Smart Cities Dive Public Service Awards

    Submit your nominations by March 31 to recognize outstanding local leaders who are making an impact in their communities.

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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Tracker

    Robotaxis: The latest developments

    Zoox will begin testing in Miami and Austin, Texas, and expand operations in San Francisco and Las Vegas.

    Updated March 25, 2026
  • An apartment building converted from an office building.
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    Permission granted by Sares Regis Group
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    Office-to-housing conversion initiatives proliferate in California

    State policymakers have been pursuing policy changes that remove barriers to converting older commercial buildings into housing, with mixed success.

  • Aerial view of a city with a river running through it at dusk.
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    Cities struggle to meet drinking water PFAS standards by EPA deadline

    Communities are grappling with how to fund removing PFAS “forever chemicals” from their water supplies, experts said during a National League of Cities panel.

  • AI chat bot, Programmer using generative artificial intelligence for software development inside office.
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    43% of public sector employees use AI at least a few times a year, Gallup finds

    Less than 40% of the public sector employees surveyed said their organization has a clear AI strategy, according to a recent poll.

  • A man seen from behind, dressed in black, walks though a mockup of a bus door in an exhibit hall.
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    Permission granted by Wabtec Corporation
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    How smart transit bus doors could improve passenger safety

    An artificial intelligence system from Wabtec can detect when riders enter or exit a bus.

  • Several people stand at a podium in a large, brightly lit industrial building next to a subway car on rails.
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    Courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA
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    New York’s MTA plans to replace more than a third of its subway fleet

    “We are in the midst of a public transit renaissance in New York,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul.

  • File folders with tabs that say "Funding," "Projects," "Grants"
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    City officials urge federal grant application reform

    The “mind-numbing” grant application process could be improved through preparation, intention and building connections, city leaders said during a National League of Cities panel. 

  • A small one-room building in the backyard of a larger brick building.
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    Retrieved from New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development on March 23, 2026
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    NYC reinvigorates push for ADUs

    The city launched a dedicated website and is restarting a program to offer up to $395,000 to help qualifying homeowners build an ancillary dwelling unit.

  • The road for a new residential subdivision stands out against existing homes.
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    Opinion // Surface Transportation Legislation

    To make housing more affordable, invest in infrastructure

    Homes need roads, water systems and power to serve them. A good start is renewing the federal surface transportation funding set to expire in September, writes a building materials executive.

  • A power plant emitting smoke from smokestacks surrounded by a neighborhood with a street in the foreground.
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    Jon Cherry via Getty Images
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    Cities sue EPA over endangerment finding repeal

    A dozen cities and counties join states in challenging EPA’s rescission of a cornerstone climate rule, which leaves cities “to bear the costs of hotter summers, dirtier air, and extreme weather,” Denver’s mayor said.  

  • A white SUV on a stage with a many speaking to an audience.
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    Phillip Faraone via Getty Images
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    Uber to buy up to 50,000 robotaxis from Rivian by 2030

    The agreement includes an upfront purchase of 10,000 Rivian vehicles, with an option for 40,000 more. Uber previously committed to buy up to 20,000 autonomous vehicles from Lucid. 

  • Sandstone neoclassical Idaho State Capitol building against mountain backdrop. Afternoon light illuminates the dome.
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    Idaho updates grant-management system with cloud-based platform

    The modernization project consolidated multiple grant processes across state agencies into one system. It’s already saving time.

  • New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels speaks at a podium. He is flanked by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    How the new NYC schools chief plans to improve rigor and equity

    Kamar Samuels stresses partnerships with elected officials and community-based organizations to manage school mergers and closures.

  • Passengers at a subway station as a train arrives.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Urban rail transit construction in the US trails population growth

    Cities are opting for less costly bus rapid transit projects over subways and light rail.

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    How housing policy reform drove down rents in Austin, Texas

    Removing regulatory barriers and subsidizing affordable housing helped clear the way for 120,000 new homes in the city between 2015 and 2024, according to Pew.

  • Boats docked in a harbor with tall buildings in the background.
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    How Baltimore is working to reverse years of population loss

    From port expansion to neighborhood-level housing redevelopment, Baltimore is betting on coordinated public-private partnerships to rebuild economic momentum and compete with other resurgent postindustrial cities.

    Updated March 20, 2026
  • A green, blue and white bus stopped on red brick pavement under palm trees on a sunny day.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Zero-emission transit bus fleets continued to grow last year

    More than 8,000 full-size battery and fuel-cell electric buses are in use or on the way, but uncertain federal policies and funding could slow future growth.

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    Elijah Nouvelage via Getty Images
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    5 tools local governments are using to block ICE detention centers

    Local governments can’t override federal authority, but they’re leveraging zoning, infrastructure limits and litigation to stop detention projects tied to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s expansion plans.

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    The Municipal Cost Index

    The Municipal Cost Index update for February is now available.

    Updated March 18, 2026
  • A blue transit bus with crayon-like art decor with a large hotel behind it.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Anaheim transit system will shut down March 31

    The city declined to take over the transit provider, which serves the city’s resort area. Ongoing budget deficits felled the 30-year-old agency.

  • A sprawling building on a mountainside.
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    Lawsuit claims NCAR changes pose ‘direct threat’ to US security

    Restructuring the atmospheric research center would disrupt weather and climate data systems relied on by cities, the military and infrastructure planners, NCAR's parent agency argues.