The Latest

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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    5 cities with congestion pricing

    In 2025, New York City joined other major global cities that have implemented tolling programs to reduce traffic in select areas. Other U.S. cities are considering similar plans.

  • People outdoors holding signs reading "Higher wages for Lyft & Uber drivers now!"
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Uber and Lyft CEOs want to add more robotaxis

    The ride-hailing companies are partnering with several robotaxi and technology companies to bring more AVs to more cities.

  • Workers in orange vests and caps standing on either side of an unhoused person in front of tents and tarps
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    LA County sees second year of homelessness declines, ends longstanding partnership with city of LA

    A 4% drop in homelessness signals momentum, but Los Angeles city leaders warn the county’s plan to launch its own homeless services department could threaten progress across the region.

  • Two men install solar panels on a roof.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    EPA considers terminating $7B Solar For All program

    If the Trump administration moves forward to claw back the funding, “we will see them in court,” said Kym Meyer, litigation director at the Southern Environmental Law Center.

  • A person wearing a heavy jacket carrying a backpack walks through snow in front of a sign for Fenway Park.
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    Scott Eisen via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    Waymo readies its robotaxis for winter weather

    The company has tested its autonomous ride-hailing vehicles in Boston, New York City and Philadelphia. Can they handle snow, ice and winter storms?

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    Haizhan Zheng via Getty Images
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    5 takeaways from Harvard’s 2025 state of housing report

    Record unaffordability and looming federal funding cuts are driving housing uncertainty, a Joint Center for Housing Studies report warns. Here’s what local government leaders should know.

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    Adam Gray via Getty Images
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    AI could cut disaster infrastructure losses by 15%, new research finds

    Artificial intelligence applications like predictive maintenance and digital twins can help keep the power on and the roads open during natural disasters — and save $70 billion in infrastructure losses by 2050, according to a Deloitte Global report.

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    Permission granted by Tyler Chartier Photography/MBH Architects
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    Q&A

    New Oakland, Calif., development to add 235 affordable units after nearly 10 years on hiatus

    Modular construction is a powerful strategy for maximizing efficiency in building new housing, MBH Architects director Timothy Haley says.

  • Aerial view from skyline with skyscrapers in Brooklyn downtown New York on the Hudson river
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    photovs via Getty Images
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    Housing shortages hit low-income renters the hardest, Pew report finds

    While rent is stabilizing in high-growth cities, displacement and homelessness are surging in housing-constrained metros.

  • A vehicle that says "POLICE," "Autonomous Mobile Patrol" and "Emergency 999" on a showroom floor at a trade show
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    Permission granted by Micropolis Holdings
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    ‘RoboCops’ may be headed to the US

    After years of development in Dubai, AI-powered police robots are moving toward deployment in New York and Florida, Micropolis founder says.

  • An illustration of a high-speed train in California's Central Valley.
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    Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority
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    Tracker

    US high-speed rail projects: The latest news

    As the state faces a $4 billion loss in federal funds for its high-speed rail project, new legislation requires the California High-Speed Rail Authority to outline potential funding sources, financing options and cost-reduction strategies.

    Updated Aug. 5, 2025
  • Boston Harbor is shown, depicting water in the foreground, tall buildings behind and blue sky in the background. A small plane flies above the water.
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    Michael M. Santiago / Staff via Getty Images
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    6 U.S. cities will get data analytics, AI support via international alliance

    The Bloomberg-backed City Data Alliance aims to equip city leaders with tools and coaching to modernize services and meet evolving resident needs.

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    Lawrence Sawyer via Getty Images
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    Single-family rent growth slows as new supply surges — but affordability pressures remain

    Overall prices remain high following five years of rapid growth, with some markets requiring $200,000 in annual income to comfortably rent a three-bedroom home.

  • President Trump at his Oval Office desk signing an executive order surrounded by men.
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Tariffs make transit buses more expensive

    North American bus manufacturer New Flyer reported strong demand for transit buses and a shift away from zero-emission vehicles in its second-quarter earnings call.

  • Rendering of river splitting off in two directions with greenery and beaches along its banks and buildings in the background.
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    Permission granted by Wenk Associates
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    Denver development recruits its river for urban flood control

    The River Mile project is treating the South Platte River as natural infrastructure, delivering flood protection, recreation and economic opportunity on land once considered undevelopable.

  • An electric utility truck drives down a street after a wildfire.
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    Michael Ciaglo via Getty Images
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    Xcel Energy ‘prepared to go to trial’ to fight Colorado fire liability

    The company contends that it did not start the late 2021 Colorado blaze, which caused an estimated $2 billion in damages.

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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Community-based safety solutions drive 22.6% drop in homicides since 2020, Democratic mayors say

    Cities are reporting historic decreases in violent crime, but mayors warn that recent federal grant cancellations jeopardize the programs that fueled these results.

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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    Legislation to address Illinois RTA’s fiscal cliff faces uncertain future

    The bills could add more than $1 billion in new operating revenue but raised concerns over new mandates and agency responsibilities.

  • A man walks on a street with downed power lines.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    The weather is changing. Here’s how utilities can adapt.

    Climate READi, developed by energy providers, policymakers and government agencies, can help energy companies prioritize investments and adapt the evolving electric system to the climate of the future.

  • People with heavy machinery wearing safety vests at a road construction site.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Can cities and states keep their roads in good shape?

    With an influx of pandemic-era funds already spent, many states anticipate funding gaps over the next decade that could threaten road safety and infrastructure reliability.

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    halbergman via Getty Images
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    No zoning code? That’s a problem, one Virginia city discovered.

    Procedural missteps can derail even well-supported measures to eliminate single-family zoning — a problem Charlottesville, Virginia, is now addressing.

  • A cardboat cutout of a green cart wearing glasses that says “I’m Professor Green, ask me what to do with your food waste" in front of Griffith Observatory.
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    Permission granted by LA Sanitation
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    Cities and waste facility operators turn to AI for recycling education revamp

    As recycling rates stagnate, cities are testing smarter ways to help residents sort waste — from tamales to chopsticks — right at the bin.

  • Smoke pours from smokestacks by a river.
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    BackyardProduction via Getty Images
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    EPA’s move to gut key climate regulation raises stakes for city leaders

    A repeal of the endangerment finding would make local climate policy a new battleground in continuing tensions between the Trump administration and cities, a legal scholar suggests.

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    tigerstrawberry via Getty Images
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    Senate tackles housing affordability crisis with bipartisan bill

    Mayors applauded the Senate’s ROAD to Housing Act proposal to speed housing development, cut red tape and fund local innovation. 

  • A brick commerical building entrance facade with a "Capitol One Bank" logo displayed above the doors.
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    Alamy
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    Capital One delivers few details on $265B community plan

    Local officials are still waiting for clarity on how the community investment proposal, part of the card issuer’s effort to acquire Discover Financial, will play out in their neighborhoods.