Buildings & Design

  • Boston, MA - Charles River Aerial Photography Downtown
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    These 10 US cities have the ‘stickiest’ downtowns

    Frequency and length of visits by city residents make these 10 downtowns stand apart, Gensler says.

    By • June 8, 2026
  • Aerial view of downtown Long Beach, California, with ocean in the background
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    Getty Images
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    Cities see opportunity in emerging sports markets

    Long Beach, California, and five other cities are exploring how to capitalize on women’s sports and minor league franchises “to create permanent economic activity,” Mayor Rex Richardson says.

    By Vicky Uhland • June 3, 2026
  • A hand holding a pencil hovers over model buildings and windmills. Explore the Trendline➔
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    Trendline

    Energy Codes and Building Performance Standards

    Cities are using these levers to meet climate goals and address everything from data centers to building decarbonization.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff
  • A person with a handheld camera films another person standing and holding their arm.
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    Permission granted by Frederick County, Maryland
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    Nominate a project for the 2026 Smart Cities Dive Community Project Awards

    The awards will highlight innovation and effective use of technology to solve real community problems.

    By • June 2, 2026
  • A rendering of a small green house with solar panels on the roof and large glass windows.
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    Retrieved from New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development on May 27, 2026
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    Preapproved housing designs can cut costs — and cities are embracing them, Pew says

    Front-loading the permit approval process can shave months off of preconstruction timelines and cut architectural and design costs, according to a new report.

    By • May 27, 2026
  • Aerial view of park with city skyline in the background.
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    Getty Images
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    Green infrastructure

    How 4 cities are reshaping parks into strategic climate and community infrastructure

    Urban parks can boost resilience, improve stormwater management and advance neighborhood equity, strengthening social cohesion in the process, the parks’ developers say. 

    By • May 22, 2026
  • Rendering of a fire station
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    Permission granted by OZ Architecture
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    Opinion

    Fire stations are more than facilities. They’re 50-year operational bets.

    Outdated station design is driving up costs, slowing response and increasing long-term liability for cities. Local leaders need to rethink design frameworks to improve performance outcomes.

    By Eric Becker • May 14, 2026
  • Person wearing mask sitting in chair with toddler in lap receives a shot from a person wearing mask and medical gown.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Public buildings can power community resilience

    Sustainability strategies are also the foundation of resilient design, which prepares public buildings to serve as lifelines when disaster strikes.

    By Jeff Kuhnhenn • May 4, 2026
  • Family with a baby sitting at a park
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    Adobe Stock / Manpeppe

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    Sponsored by Energy Systems Group (ESG)

    What a city of 25,000 can teach others about modernizing infrastructure

    Reduced costs. Stronger services for the community. See how one city did it.

    May 4, 2026
  • Four people standing together outdoors facing the camera, two with hard hats and three with NYC environmental protection logos on their tops. Behind them are workers in hard hats and safety vests.
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    Permission granted by Jean Schwarzwalder/NYC Environmental Protection
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    Meet the 2026 Smart Cities Dive Public Service Award winners

    Read about the local government leaders in Florida, New York and Texas being honored for how they’re driving local impact.

    By • April 30, 2026
  • Drone view of downtown Los Angeles
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    Adobe Stock / Newport Coast Media

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    Sponsored by PCL Construction

    Los Angeles’s future-thinking strategy for 2028 Olympic venues

    With support from builders like PCL, LA is investing in infrastructure to support the 2028 games.

    April 20, 2026
  • Tall buildings with body of water in the foreground.
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    Getty Images
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    NYC launches concierge-style service, enhanced web tools to aid Local Law 97 compliance

    New resources to help building operators plan retrofits, including resilience planning and expanded workforce development, will cut through red tape, city officials say.

    By Joe Burns • April 16, 2026
  • An interior gray staircase with a white metallic railing and white brick wall.
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    Getty Images
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    Single-staircase reform proposed in California

    Reducing the number of staircases smaller multifamily buildings require could unlock more housing, advocates say, but a state fire marshal report urges caution.

    By • April 8, 2026
  • An intersection in Washington, DC, showing two facades of an office building about seven stories tall.
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    "1625 Massachusetts Avenue NW.jpg" by APK is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    Office-to-housing conversions grew 28% last year

    New York City led other cities in converted residential units by a wide margin, followed by Washington, D.C., and Chicago, according to RentCafe.

    By • March 30, 2026
  • A rendering shows an aerial view of a professional baseball stadium.
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    Retrieved from Tampa Bay Rays on March 09, 2026
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    Tampa Bay Rays unveil plans for $2.3B ballpark, mixed-use development

    The Major League Baseball franchise has long sought a new home. Last week it published video renderings that depict a 31,000-seat venue anchoring a “walkable, retail-rich district."

    By Zachary Phillips • March 10, 2026
  • geothermal, 1515 Surf, LCOR, Ecosave
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    Courtesy of Ecosave
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    Brooklyn project shows feasibility of using geothermal in dense urban areas

    Although installation costs are higher than for conventional systems, geothermal is cheaper over the long term, project consultants say.

    By Robert Freedman • March 4, 2026
  • People stand near a stone building with two doors with the words Women and Men above them surrounded by spring foliage.
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    Getty Images
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    After years of delays, NYC makes $4M bet on modular public toilets

    New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the plan to deliver 20 to 30 new portable, self-cleaning units this year will ensure people can “travel through our city with a little less anxiety.”

    By Danielle McLean • March 3, 2026
  • Heat pumps sit on the side of a brick building.
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    Getty Images
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    Oregon mandates heat pumps in new housing

    The update to the state’s residential energy code could save residents of housing built after the change an average of $125 a month in energy costs, an analysis found.

    By • Feb. 19, 2026
  • Large room with windows on one side and stacks of books on another and a long table with several chairs along the window wall.
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    Libraries are central to community life. Many are in aging buildings that are falling apart.

    Most U.S. library buildings face deferred maintenance, aging systems and limited funding options that put core civic services at risk, a new GAO report found.

    By Vicky Uhland • Updated Feb. 13, 2026
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    iStock.com / artisteer

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    Sponsored by Avolve

    Why local governments need real-time plan review performance insights

    Learn how local governments are moving from after-the-fact reports to live, executive-ready insight.

    By Natasha Geldard • Jan. 20, 2026
  • City skyline with high rises.
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    With zoning and regulatory changes, cities aim to spur housing growth

    The goals include increased housing density and quicker and cheaper construction. Read how Dallas’ approach stacks up against what experts see coming this year.

    By • Jan. 16, 2026
  • Aerial view of city buildings and lights at night.
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    Getty Images
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    14 predictions about what 2026 may hold for cities

    AI, infrastructure needs and shifting mobility patterns will shape how cities function in 2026, experts say.

    By Smart Cities Dive Staff • Jan. 7, 2026
  • Construction on the Hudson Gateway Tunnel project
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    Spencer Platt/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    NYC expands project labor agreements for more than $7B in city projects

    The new agreements aim to standardize labor rules, embed community hiring requirements and streamline capital delivery for projects including recreation centers, schools and water infrastructure.

    By Sebastian Obando • Dec. 5, 2025
  • data center energy management, UC Riverside,
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    Smart permitting, phase-out of diesel generators could curb data center impacts

    A look at what’s happening in California shows that even in an environmentally progressive state, unhealthy emissions and resource depletion are problems needing a solution, an academic report says.

    By Robert Freedman • Dec. 3, 2025
  • A rendering of a remodeled office / modern apartment
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    Getty Images
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    Adaptive reuse projects accelerate, driven by schools, offices

    Chicago is leading the nation in conversions, as the pipeline for these projects has increased 19% across the U.S, according to RentCafe.

    By Joe Burns • Dec. 1, 2025
  • Rendering of a tall building with many windows and a glass awning with neon letters that say UNDERGROUND.
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    Permission granted by Page, now Stantec
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    The World Cup is coming to Atlanta, spurring a historic district’s rebirth

    With new pedestrian zones, adaptive reuse projects and a focus on local business, Underground Atlanta aims to make downtown thrive long after the soccer fans have gone home.

    By • Nov. 25, 2025