The Latest

  • A low building marked "Blade" on a low pier with water in the foreground and a taller building behind.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    NYC prepares electric air taxi vertiports

    Existing heliports need charging infrastructure and additional electrical power to accommodate initial flights expected to begin later this year.

  • Smoke and steam pouring from smokestacks with orange sky in background.
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    Jon Cherry via Getty Images
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    EPA’s tougher soot standard upheld in court

    The D.C. Circuit rejected a challenge from states and industry groups, leaving the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for fine particulate matter in place as litigation over implementation continues.

  • Yellow earth mover moving a pile of soil on a pier jutting out from a beach.
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    Permission granted by NYC Clean Soil Bank
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    Opinion

    Cities are throwing away millions. Soil banking offers a better way.

    Local governments can cut costs, reduce emissions and build resilience by treating excavated soil as a resource.

  • 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.

  • Rows of seated people facing a stage and large screen showing a woman speaking.
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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.

    Updated June 29, 2026
  • Three mobile homes rest beyond a small field of grass on a sunny day.
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    Getty Images
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    This low-cost housing option is expensive to build. New law, regulatory tweaks could change that.

    Rule changes proposed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Congress’ pending Road to Housing Act could clear the way for cheaper manufactured homes. But will cities accept them? 

  • A backhoe at a construction site with a train passing behind.
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    Courtesy of Utah Transit Authority
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    New bus rapid transit line opens in Salt Lake City

    Bus ridership is near pre-pandemic levels, the Utah Transit Authority said.

  • Hawaii, Wolford v Lopez, Alito, Supreme Court, SAF
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    MollyNZ via Getty Images
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    Allowing guns in stores is the default, Supreme Court says

    In shooting down a Hawai'i law, the top court puts the onus on owners of public-facing private property to say guns are prohibited if they want to keep their property gun-free.

  • The Dallas cityscape.
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    Getty Images
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    These 10 metro areas have added the most housing units since 2020: report

    Texas metro areas have led the nation’s 6.6% uptick in metro-area housing units, an Urban Institute analysis found.

  • A stone building with a seal and FEMA written on it.
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    Getty Images
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    FEMA

    FEMA offers $1.5B in anti-terrorism funding as local governments assume larger security role

    Applications are open through July 24 for grants supporting cybersecurity, emergency coordination, election and border protection and transit security.

  • An aircraft with multiple rotors on the ground against a background of blue skies and crowds.
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    Permission granted by Eve Air Mobility
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    Air taxi manufacturer Eve Air Mobility takes a different path to flight

    The Florida-based company, closely linked to aircraft manufacturer Embraer, sees air taxis as a way to relieve traffic congestion in crowded cities.

  • A worker installs a solar panel on a flat, white rooftop with a palm tree in the background.
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    Courtesy of Sunrun
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    VPP using residential batteries, smart thermostats could ease data center grid crunch, developers say

    Sunrun, Tesla and Renew Home say 9 million homes could provide a faster alternative to infrastructure expansion for cities managing data center acceleration.

  • President Donald Trump speaks with the Washington Monument in the distance.
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Trump blocks Road to Housing Act after it passes Congress

    Municipal leaders, who have long sought federal action to address the housing crisis, say this bill is the answer. President Trump said he won’t sign it until an election law overhaul is approved.

  • A bridge over a large river with city skyline beyond.
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    Getty Images
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    Climate migration is coming. Cincinnati wants to shape its effects.

    The city’s new readiness plan positions population growth as an economic asset while developing a strategy to expand housing, strengthen infrastructure and protect affordability and social services.

  • A blue and yellow bus lettered "100% Electric" and "DASH" on a street with trees.
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    Courtesy of Alexandria Transit Company
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    On-route electric bus chargers coming to Alexandria, Virginia

    The chargers will keep the city’s growing fleet of battery-electric buses on the road longer.

  • A person in military fatigues stands aiming a gun in front of a car that says "U.S. Customs and Border Protection" with crowd and military officers in the background.
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    Apu Gomes via Getty Images
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    Trump’s ‘sanctuary city ordinance’ lawsuit against LA dismissed

    “This order reinforces the well-established principle that local governments have the authority to decide how to use their personnel and resources,” Los Angeles’ city attorney said.

    Updated June 24, 2026
  • A person wearing a blue suit sits at a table speaking into a microphone while people sitting in seats surrounding look on.
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    Jim Vondruska via Getty Images
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    DOJ subpoenas of Minnesota city and state leaders quashed in federal court

    Saying the subpoenas were intended to "harass, coerce, and retaliate,” the judge reinforced legal limits on federal efforts to pressure cities and states into supporting immigration enforcement operations. 

    Updated June 23, 2026
  • A red "sold" sign on a yellow post is in front of a small house.
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    David McNew/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Starter homes cost $1M in a record 242 US cities: Zillow

    Cities with million-dollar starter homes now span 26 states, up from nine before the pandemic, a Zillow analysis found.

  • A white vehicle outfitted with many sensors stopped at a curb in with people and buildings in the background.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Tracker

    Robotaxis: The latest developments

    Autonomous vehicle technology supplier Mobileye will start its own robotaxi service in 2027.

    Updated June 23, 2026
  • Fireworks exploding over a body of water while a crowd watches from the stands.
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    Permission granted by Choose Chicago
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    Cities leverage America250 celebrations to boost tourism, civic pride and unity

    From block parties and historical reenactments to museum exhibits and concerts, cities and counties are using the nation’s milestone anniversary as a catalyst for community and connection.

  • Two people in the foreground under an overhang alongside a line of cars.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    Lyft charting a path toward more walkable, connected cities

    Could bikes, scooters, ride-hailing and robotaxi services be an opportunity to have fewer cars on the road? Lyft’s chief policy officer thinks so.

  • Double exposure of coin stack and notebook laptop computer with financial graph on white paper business planning vision and finance analysis concept
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    Getty Images
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    The Municipal Cost Index

    The Municipal Cost Index, designed to show the impact of inflation on the cost of providing local government services, has been updated with the latest data from May.

    Updated June 22, 2026
  • Construction heavy machinery moves along dirt next to two roads that stretch out of frame on a clear, sunny day.
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    Courtesy of Virginia DOT
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    Virginia approves 6-year, $28.5B infrastructure plan

    The massive plan will fund more than 4,300 construction and infrastructure jobs across the state.

  • Three people on a sidewalk with luggage and cars parked along a curb in front of or brick building.
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    Permission granted by Joseph Schwieterman
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    Chicago to buy, renovate Greyhound bus terminal

    The city’s action, aimed at improving the customer experience for some 450,000 riders each year, saves the bus station from possible closure or demolition.

  • An aerial view of houses in various stages of construction.
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    Brandon Bell/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    7 takeaways from Harvard’s 2026 state of housing report

    “Construction is down, home sales are flat and cost burdens are up,” the lead author of the annual Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies report said.