The Latest

  • A rendering of a single family 3D-printed home
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    Courtesy of Lumen Villas

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    This small Texas town has a housing affordability problem. Can it print its way out?

    A company that builds homes using 3D printing technology is building a nine-home community in Marfa, Texas, and an 80-home development in Houston. It says the technology could address the “affordability crisis across Texas and the U.S.”

  • Scaffolds covering a building in New York City.
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    Getty Images
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    Zoning reforms, tax incentives help drive NYC’s office-to-housing boom

    Office conversions have nearly tripled as the city takes action to address a housing shortage and historically high office vacancy rates.

  • The Department of Housing and Urban Development
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    Getty Images
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    How the government shutdown is (and isn’t) impacting housing funds for cities

    Previously approved federal housing funding streams remain available, but staff reductions could threaten core functions.

  • A person wearing a vest and boots sits with head bowed on steps amid debris.
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    Jim Vondruska via Getty Images
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    5 things keeping emergency managers up at night

    Emergency managers are stretched thin as climate disasters and cyberthreats grow. Chronic underfunding and mission creep have left the nation’s front line unprepared, a Deloitte-NEMA study says.

  • An illustration shows an overhead view of a city intersections with imaginary lines extending from each vehicle to other nearby vehicles.
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    Getty Images
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    Roadway safety can benefit from vehicles that talk to each other

    Connected vehicles can help avoid accidents and alert authorities to dangerous situations, says an AT&T executive.

  • California Gov. Gavin Newsom seen holding a signed bill.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Newsom orders statewide coordination on climate disaster risk

    California agencies will jointly develop tools to help local governments and utilities withstand economic losses and insurance disruptions caused by worsening wildfires and other disasters.

  • A close-up shot of Gov. Ron DeSantis speaking at a podium with an American flag as the backdrop.
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    Getty Images
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    Florida leaders used state DOGE effort to call out cities and counties for ‘wasteful spending.’ The communities are pushing back.

    Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state CFO primarily criticized funding used for equity and LGBT-related initiatives as wasteful.

  • A construction worker wets concrete
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    Scott Olson/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Trump blocks Chicago funding as Illinois moves forward with $50.6B infrastructure plan

    The White House froze $2.1 billion in funding for a transit rail line and a viaduct project as federal and local officials battle over diversity and inclusion.

  • A wide street with one and two-story retail buildings on a sunny day.
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    The image by Renelibrary is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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    Guiding a small but growing city: Exemplary Public Servant John Noblitt

    The Sanger, Texas, city manager obtained more reliable electricity, worked toward a larger wastewater treatment plant and helped attract the city’s first supermarket.

  • A dome lit up in gold contrasts with the night sky.
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    Getty Images
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    Court upholds New Jersey affordable housing mandate, dismisses suit from cities

    The 27 cities vow to continue their legal challenges to the state law.

  • Four men in sutis and a woman on a stage with audience members in the foreground.
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    Dan Zukowski/Smart Cities Dive
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    How Boston transit leaders fixed a failing transit system

    The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority recovered from safety lapses that prompted the Federal Transit Administration to oversee the agency’s transit rail system in 2022.

  • Rendering of a dock on a river with people launching kayaks, bridge in the background.
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    Permission granted by OMA + OLIN Design Team
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    Column // Green infrastructure

    From highway to haven: Lessons from D.C.’s 11th Street Bridge Park

    Community buy-in wasn’t just a box to check, says the park's founding director. Ongoing dialogue with residents helped build trust, ease displacement concerns and foster community ownership.

  • A person works on a panel of a large metal box that says Fuel Cell Energy DFC 300.
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    David McNew via Getty Images
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    Communities brace for fallout as DOE terminates nearly $7.6B in clean energy project funding

    Cuts to 223 projects across 16 states will mean job losses, higher energy costs and weaker grid reliability, experts and state agencies warn.

  • Modern train with blue roof and sides, white band along windows and red stripe along bottom with overhead wires and green trees behind.
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    Courtesy of Amtrak
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    Tracker

    US high-speed rail projects: The latest news

    Brightline West applied for a $6 billion federal loan to cover increasing construction costs for its high-speed rail line between Las Vegas and Southern California. Keep up on all the latest news in this tracker.

    Updated Oct. 3, 2025
  • A hill seen at a distance with buildings below
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    Permission granted by Skyler Barton, Prescott Valley, Arizona
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    Municipalities join forces to conserve more than 2,000 acres of diverse Arizona landscape

    The land is on its way to becoming a shared regional park with connected hiking and biking trails.

  • Two men in suits standing in front of the White House. The man on the left is speaking and pointing with both hands.
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    Trump administration freezes $18B for NY-NJ region transportation projects

    The Transportation Department said a review of the projects would take more time because of the government shutdown.

  • Trump signs proclomation on H-1B visa.
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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    DOE cancels $7.6B in clean energy funding, hitting projects in 16 states

    DOE officials say the cancellations target projects that were rushed through with weak documentation, while critics argue the move is political and will drive up costs for cities and consumers.

  • Round logo that says U.S. Department of Homeland Security against backdrop of U.S. Capitol
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    Getty Images
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    Judge halts FEMA funding cuts that states allege are tied to ‘sanctuary’ policies

    The ruling forces DHS to rescind grant awards and pause reallocations. The states allege the disaster funding cuts are punishing them for not assisting with federal immigration enforcement.

    Updated Oct. 2, 2025
  • A person in a suit speaks in front of a seal for the state of California.
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    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    California adopted AI safety legislation. Here are 5 things it does.

    New state legislation regulating artificial intelligence requires transparency and safety incident reporting and establishes whistleblower protections.

  • Kristi Noem and Tom Homan
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    DOJ targets Minneapolis and St. Paul in latest ‘sanctuary’ city lawsuit

    Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey vows to defend immigrant communities as the Trump administration continues nationwide campaign targeting cities that restrict enforcement of federal immigration law.

    Updated Oct. 1, 2025
  • Low angle view of a modern style apartment building, with lots of windows on a sunny, cloudy day
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    Getty Images
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    Modern multifamily buildings see ‘far better fire safety outcomes’ than other housing types, Pew report finds

    Fire deaths in modern multifamily homes occur at one-fourth the rate of those in modern single-family homes, the report found.

  • President Trump and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry sit at a table with a white tablecloth and two empty wine glasses with American flag behind them.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Louisiana governor requests 1,000 National Guard troops to address urban crime

    Gov. Jeff Landry wants to deploy Guard units in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Shreveport. Baton Rouge City Council members warn it could inflame tensions and deepen community mistrust.

    Updated Oct. 1, 2025
  • Man is a suit at a podium in front of a sign that reads "NLC - National League of Cities"
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    Dan Zukowski/Smart Cities Dive
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    Top smart city conferences in 2026

    Technology, housing, climate action, transportation, public safety and more take center stage at events for local government leaders in 2026.

  • A person sits in a chair in front of boards on easels.
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    5 steps to disaster-proof your city as FEMA pulls back

    FEMA is stretched thin, a GAO report warns. Its author offers advice for local leaders to respond strategically and build resilience now.

  • A man wearing military fatigues and a helmet
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Illinois officials condemn federal troop request for Chicago

    Gov. JB Pritzker says DHS has requested 100 military personnel be sent to Chicago and calls the action an “unconstitutional occupation.”