The Latest
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The image by Renelibrary is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 -
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.
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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.
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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.
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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 -
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.
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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 -
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.
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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 -
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.
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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.
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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.”