Challenge to Berkeley gas regulation dismissed, a win for cities in carbon emissions fight

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit last week that challenged the city's restrictions on natural gas in new low-rise residential buildings, a major boost for local governments looking to follow suit.

By Chris Teale • July 16, 2021

Southern California Edison plans for 38,000 EV charging stations in next five years

The utility's $436 million program, the largest initiative of its kind by any investor-owned utility, will include an "added emphasis" on installing electric vehicle chargers in multifamily apartment and condo buildings. 

By Scott Van Voorhis • July 15, 2021

Wichita, Kansas, to revive its downtown with unique 'Midwestern placemaking' design

The National Endowment for the Arts awarded the city and local partners $75,000 to pair artists with local businesses to create storefront "front porches," helping the local economy recover from the pandemic. 

By Kristi Eaton • July 14, 2021

Condo collapse spurs inspections, questions about other city towers

Florida municipalities ramp up building inspections after uneven and lax enforcement, and as insurers and residents across the country ponder the implications of high-rise living.  

By Joe Bousquin • July 12, 2021

Local leaders from 12 cities to attend vacant property leadership institute

Amid expectations the number of vacant proprieties will rise due to the pandemic, local leaders from across four states will attend an intensive training to learn how to best transform and maintain them.

By Katie Pyzyk • July 12, 2021

Giving new life to deserted parking garages

Cities' declining dependence on cars and commutes may point to a novel solution for the lack of affordable housing in cities, writes The Traffic Group's Wes Guckert.

By Wes Guckert • July 7, 2021

Office demand sluggish in cities with greater share of remote-friendly jobs

Cities like Seattle and Boston have recovered the least, while Chicago, New York and Los Angeles have fared much better in their office market recovery.

By Sebastian Obando • July 2, 2021

House passes broad bipartisan measure to help states fund energy cybersecurity efforts

Representatives voted in support of a program that will help states secure energy infrastructure against cyber and physical threats, setting up financial incentives for private sector assistance. 

By Robert Walton • June 29, 2021

White House agrees to bipartisan infrastructure deal

"The largest investment in EV infrastructure in history," includes plans to build a national network of electric vehicle chargers along highways and in rural communities.

By Jason Plautz • June 25, 2021

Amazon partners with three transit agencies to invest $300M in affordable housing

Through its new Housing Equity Fund, the company will fund an estimated 3,000 affordable housing units near transit in its U.S. hubs in the suburbs of Seattle and Washington, D.C., and in Nashville, Tennessee. 

By Katie Pyzyk • June 23, 2021

Interventions necessary to avert 'wave' of foreclosures, evictions: report

City, state and federal assistance have kept families afloat, but millions face housing crises as aid expires, according to a report from Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. 

By Jason Plautz • June 21, 2021

$20B Dallas-Houston high-speed rail project moves forward

The project is based on Central Japan Railway's Tokaido Shinkansen system. It aims to travel at up to 200 mph, faster than any other rail service in the U.S., according to Texas Central Railroad.

By Jennifer Goodman • June 21, 2021

Low-carbon concrete bill advances in New York

The bill takes aim at the emissions-heavy built environment by developing state guidelines for using greener concrete products and climate performance standards for state construction projects.

By Jason Plautz • June 14, 2021

3 takeaways from NLC's 'State of the Cities' report

Mayors nationwide are prioritizing investing in infrastructure, but they remain concerned about budget shortfalls after the coronavirus pandemic even with federal help on the way.

By Chris Teale • June 11, 2021

NYC, San Francisco among top 10 global cities with highest pandemic construction costs

Construction should benefit from its strong position coming out of the pandemic, according to the Arcadis 2021 International Construction Cost Index.

By Kim Slowey • June 10, 2021

Chicago building decarbonization working group to apply equity lens

As the city strives to power all buildings with renewable energy by 2035, it's not just about reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also about "prioritizing the health of people in the buildings," said Chicago's chief sustainability officer.

By Katie Pyzyk • June 7, 2021

Baltimore contractor pilots low-carbon concrete product

The new concrete formulation is designed to cut the material's embodied carbon by 40% compared to ordinary Portland cement-based concrete, the maker says.

By Jeffrey Steele • June 4, 2021

Tampa, Florida, creates resilience plan to prepare for next crisis

The road map, which officials say is the first to be released during or after the coronavirus pandemic, calls for more affordable housing and broadband access in addition to climate-ready infrastructure.

By Chris Teale • June 3, 2021

Republicans include $4B for EVs in 2nd counteroffer to Biden infrastructure plan

The Republicans' proposal would spend $928 billion on infrastructure over the next eight years, a $360 billion increase over their previous proposal. But EV advocates say the plan still falls short. 

By Catherine Morehouse • May 28, 2021

Washington, DC, reclaims top spot as best city for parks

The Trust for Public Land's rankings measured park equity access for the first time in the index's 10-year history, noting that while many cities have made strides, plenty of work still lies ahead.  

By Chris Teale • May 27, 2021

With more extreme weather on horizon, FEMA resilience program's dollars to double

The Biden administration's $1 billion injection for the nascent Pre-Disaster Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program comes as national leaders aim to "categorically shift" disaster spending from reactive to proactive.

By Maria Rachal • May 26, 2021

Predicting travel rebound, Airbnb rolls out major feature upgrades

The company is implementing a swath of changes, including to its City Portal, as CEO Brian Chesky said he anticipates the "biggest travel rebound in a century." 

By Chris Teale • May 25, 2021

Biden decarbonization focus shifts to buildings, aiming to triple efficiency

The White House announced workforce development funding, new performance standards and expanded partnerships in the private sector to address carbon emissions from the nation's building stock.

By Robert Walton • May 20, 2021

Coalition seeks to highlight composting as key urban infrastructure

Given the Biden administration's focus on climate, environmental justice and infrastructure investment, advocates and trade groups view now as an apt time to pursue $200 million across a decade to help expand U.S. composting.

By Maria Rachal • May 13, 2021

Riskiest states for cycling shift in new analysis

StreetLight Data took a new approach of looking at fatalities per bicycle miles traveled, or BMT, to measure risk as urban planners grapple with the pandemic's drastic changes to mobility.

By Cailin Crowe • May 10, 2021