The Latest
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6 smart cities trends to watch in 2025
Transportation systems, housing policy and decarbonization approaches will evolve this year as the Trump administration assumes power and technology continues to advance.
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Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
Cost of living is ‘too damn high’: New York governor unveils affordable housing proposals
The proposed policies would create a nation-leading model for dissuading hedge funds and private equity firms from buying up affordable homes, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
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Sakorn Sukkasemsakorn via Getty Images
Microgrids boost grid reliability, lower costs: Colorado road map
In the face of rising transmission costs and extreme weather impacts, self-contained grids can benefit both rural areas and urban centers, according to state agencies.
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Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
California leaders ask for more federal transportation money before Trump takes over
The California Latino Legislative Caucus and a Democratic senator from the state argue for immediate and continued funding of public transit and high-speed rail.
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Permission granted by City of Phoenix Office of Heat Response and Mitigation
Not just trees: Phoenix’s $60M shade plan includes built structures, too
“We need to think much more holistically” about responding to extreme heat, said Adam Freed, a Bloomberg Associates principal who helped the desert city develop its plan.
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Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority
5 ways Trump could impact infrastructure construction in 2025
The incoming administration promises new policies that could affect permits, materials, labor and project funding.
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Joe Raedle via Getty Images
FEMA offers $1.35B in climate resilience grants
Certain restrictions for this cycle of funding will help “ensure a more diverse distribution” of grants across the U.S., the Federal Emergency Management Agency said.
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Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority
TrackerUS high-speed rail projects: The latest news
The California High-Speed Rail Authority substantially completed initial construction work along 22 miles of its right-of-way in Kern County, California.
Updated Jan. 7, 2025 -
ferrantraite via Getty Images
Flexible office space set to rise in 2025: Cushman & Wakefield
Some companies are leaning into coworking spaces and other flex spaces amid efforts to reimagine cities, the firm says.
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Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
Congestion pricing begins in New York, a US first
Overcoming opposition, the plan to toll drivers entering Manhattan's central business district went into effect Sunday. Revenues will go to the transit authority's capital investments.
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Permission granted by Friends of The Underline
Q&AInside Miami’s new linear park: Bioswales, bike paths and a 50-foot ‘dining room’ table
As rapid development threatens the city’s green space, The Underline restores ecosystems and adds amenities, a project leader says. But the effort also faces cost and design hurdles.
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Courtesy of Austin Transit Partnership
$7B all-electric light rail project moves ahead in Austin, Texas
The Austin Transit Partnership selected a construction team to build the city’s first light rail system, which is set to open in 2033.
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MattGush via Getty Images
EPA issues permits for California carbon capture and storage facility
Amid local concerns about the health risks the facility could pose, an EPA official said she believes the permits are “protective of the public and the environment.”
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Alex Wong via Getty Images
Inflation-adjusted transportation spending at all levels fell in the 2010-2022 period, BTS says
Federal funding helps state and local governments, which account for 90% of transportation spending, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
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Courtesy of Tesla Inc.
Rise in EV financing may signal growing interest among consumers: Experian
The arrival of new, more affordable models alongside the federal EV tax credit have boosted leasing.
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tunart via Getty Images
9 predictions about what 2025 may hold for US cities
“Playground” cities will thrive, innovative housing programs will proliferate and technology will transform transit and municipal services, these sources say.
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Craig Barritt via Getty Images
Q&AHow an Oklahoma City sales tax fuels the city’s ‘renaissance’
Mayor David Holt led the planning process for the fourth voter-approved renewal of a sales tax for public infrastructure focused on human needs.
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New Jersey breaks ground on hurricane shelter for rail cars
Officials proposed the project after Hurricane Sandy caused $400 million worth of damage to an NJ Transit maintenance complex and hundreds of trains stored there.
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RichLegg via Getty Images
US DOT issues final rule on accessibility standards for transit riders
The rule sets guidelines for state and local transportation departments and transit agencies to improve access for users with disabilities at transit stations.
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Rene Notenbomer via Getty Images
‘Smart surfaces’ policy tracker shows how cities boost green infrastructure, solar, cool pavement
Local officials can use the over 450 resources in the tracker to develop their own policies, according to Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and the Smart Surfaces Coalition.
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Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images
Biden raises GHG emissions-reduction goal, but experts say Trump ‘hellbent’ on reversing course
“Even though the Trump administration may not lift a finger to deliver on this plan, it sets a north star for what the U.S. should be aiming for,” said World Resources Institute's Debbie Weyl.
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RyanJLane via Getty Images
Washington local governments sue to block builder-supported measure favoring natural gas
Voter-approved I-2066, which prevents the state and local governments from restricting access to natural gas, is unconstitutional, said Seattle, King County and other groups in a lawsuit filed last week.
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Courtesy of Archer Aviation
Archer Aviation completes Georgia air taxi factory
Production is set to begin in the new year at a small scale, but by 2030, the company plans to manufacture 650 air taxis each year.
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Courtesy of General Motors
GM, ChargePoint partner to deploy 500 ultra-fast EV chargers
The two companies plan to open the charging stations to the public before the end of 2025.
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Scott Eisen/Getty Images via Getty Images
Boston ramps up affordable housing preservation efforts with new revolving fund
Building on the success of another preservation program, the city launched an effort last week that aims to protect residents from rising rents and outside investor pressure.
