Populus to help global cities manage flexible street policies

The company has pushed its Street Manager platform as a tool for cities to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe amid changing traffic trends.

By Cailin Crowe • Updated July 9, 2020

New (im)mobility: Can we avoid the private car revenge?

Mobility operators and public leaders must anticipate a post-pandemic shift to single-occupancy vehicle use, and act before urban transportation locks us down again.

By Joël Hazan, Pierre-François Marteau, Benjamin Fassenot • April 22, 2020

LiDAR solution to monitor social distancing as cities reopen

Anaheim, CA-based iinside unveiled technology to better analyze crowd density and spacing in areas like airports or sport venues. 

By Chris Teale • April 22, 2020

Chicago COVID-19 data stresses racial disparities seen nationally

Black individuals are contracting and dying from COVID-19 at a disproportionately high rate. Experts blame long-standing inequities and structural racism — and urge cities to mitigate the racial divide.

By Katie Pyzyk • April 21, 2020

California cities top air pollution list — again

The American Lung Association’s annual "State of the Air" found warmer temperatures are contributing to widespread smog and soot levels in U.S. cities.

By David Oliver • April 21, 2020

'Angeleno Campaign' raises $10M in prepaid debit cards for LA residents

The program, created by Accelerator for America and Mastercard, saw so much immediate demand that the city's phone systems crashed.

By Cailin Crowe • April 21, 2020

Spin unveils 'Build a Better Barrier Challenge' winners

The grand prize was given to "WeCLAIM," a design that uses reclaimed tires to build lane dividers filled with plants and grasses, in a bid to ensure clear separation of travel lanes.

By Chris Teale • Updated July 28, 2020

BLS: March unemployment data shows early impacts of coronavirus

The newly released BLS data was collected before major stay-at-home orders took effect, but gives a sneak peek at how rates may spike next month.

By Kristin Musulin • April 20, 2020

NYC slashes program funding in 'cautious' FY21 budget

The city's $89.3 billion budget reduced or temporarily eliminated funding for programs across at least seven city departments to address constraints amid coronavirus. Some see the cuts as a "false trade-off."

By David Oliver • April 20, 2020

New Zealand to fund 'pop-up' bike lanes, sidewalk widening amid pandemic

The transportation minister has called on cities to apply for the funding, which will support tactical urbanism projects to improve cyclist and pedestrian safety.

By Cailin Crowe • April 16, 2020

Experts blast EPA move on air quality following pollution link to COVID-19 deaths

"To whom does Wheeler answer when he makes life or death determinations?" one legal expert asked. "It's a moral question. It's not just a legal question."

By Catherine Morehouse • April 15, 2020

1.5M households to become 'extremely low-income' due to COVID-19

Cities are scrambling to address low-income housing needs and shelter homeless groups that are disproportionately vulnerable to the novel coronavirus. 

By Cailin Crowe • April 15, 2020

USCM renews call for $250B in flexible aid for cities

In a letter to Congressional leaders, the U.S. Conference of Mayors said the pandemic has "decimated city budgets" and left more than 1.5 million government workers unemployed.

By Kristin Musulin • Updated July 21, 2020

A 'different world' awaits transit on the other side of coronavirus

Public transit experts led an open-ended webinar on how to recalibrate societal perceptions of transit, noting the pandemic is an opportunity for the industry to prove its true value.

By Kristin Musulin • April 13, 2020

City culture hangs in the balance as small businesses struggle to survive

Efforts to sustain small businesses amid the current economic slowdown aren't just about saving jobs. They're about protecting a city's spirit.

By Jason Plautz • April 13, 2020

San Francisco tackles digital divide with Wi-Fi SuperSpots

Up to 25 SuperSpots will be installed throughout the city in high-demand places like public housing sites for the 29% of students without internet access. 

By Cailin Crowe • April 9, 2020

Federal agencies launch $9M Civic Innovation Challenge

The National Science Foundation partnered with the U.S. Departments of Energy and Homeland Security for the research competition, which aims to address community-identified mobility and resiliency challenges.

By Kristin Musulin • April 9, 2020

Cities play 'matchmaker' to connect residents, services amid pandemic

During a Cities of Service webinar, experts discussed how cities like Seattle and St. Paul, MN are leveraging community organizations to better mitigate COVID-19.

By Cailin Crowe • April 8, 2020

Higher air pollution linked to coronavirus deaths: study

Harvard University research is the first to make an explicit connection between air pollution and COVID-19 deaths in the United States.

By Chris Teale • April 8, 2020

Ann Arbor, MI City Council adopts $1B climate plan

Staff revised the A2Zero plan to better reflect the long-term costs of action or inaction, and to take into account how strategies may evolve as technology and climate changes.

By Chris Teale • Updated June 4, 2020

7 recommendations to tackle COVID-19 in cities: JHU

Johns Hopkins University, a leader in COVID-19 data collection and transparency, detailed a "metropolitan strategy" for cities to follow to slow the transmission of the novel coronavirus.

By Cailin Crowe • April 6, 2020

Post-coronavirus economic recovery requires EV adoption

The next federal stimulus bill should include three objectives to create a healthier economy: more access to EV charging stations, electrification incentives and support of grid-level demand.

By Christopher George & Jan Maceczek • April 6, 2020

Cybersecurity risks spike as COVID-19 forces city staff to go remote

Before the pandemic, the likelihood and scale of cyberattacks on local governments had been intensifying. Now, with most city employees on distributed devices at home, vulnerabilities are sky high.

By Chris Teale • April 6, 2020

Baltimore ends aerial surveillance program

The city's spending board unanimously decided to end the six-month pilot program that captured on-the-ground footage in an attempt to reduce crime.

By Cailin Crowe • Updated Feb. 5, 2021

New York legalizes e-bikes, scooters following years of debate

The state legislature approved the policy on Thursday as part of the new fiscal year budget bill, allowing residents to safely get around without "fear of ridiculous fines [and] penalties," Sen. Jessica Ramos said.

By Chris Teale • April 3, 2020