Climate & Resilience

  • Two people in firefighting suits carry a hose outside. Fire and smoke is billowing in front of them.
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    mountainberryphoto via Getty Images
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    New York unveils daily wildfire risk map

    As dry weather fuels brush fires in the state, officials and researchers launched a data tool they say will get critical information to the public and firefighters more quickly.

    By • Oct. 29, 2024
  • Aerial view of homes along a wide street. On the street, a truck applies a lighter-colored coating to the pavement. Traffic cones are lined up along the street.
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    Retrieved from City of Phoenix.
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    Phoenix cool pavement study shows technology tradeoffs

    The reflective coating is more effective in certain urban areas than others, Arizona State University researchers said in a report prepared for the city.

    By • Oct. 28, 2024
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    jamesteohart via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Smart Cities Dive

    From worsening climate change to a shifting transportation landscape and the housing affordability crisis, cities have their work cut out for them.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff
  • Aerial view of vegetation on the roof of a large building.
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    hapabapa via Getty Images
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    How US cities are investing in green infrastructure

    The nation’s largest city is spending millions on porous pavement while communities in the Midwest are greening neglected alleys to mitigate flooding.

    By • Oct. 24, 2024
  • A person wearing a uniform and hard hat looks down at a device in their hands. Behind the person are pipes and industrial equipment silhouetted against the sunset.
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    halbergman via Getty Images
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    California’s first carbon capture and storage facility gets local approval

    The decision follows heated debate among community members about the project’s economic and health impacts.

    By • Oct. 24, 2024
  • Close-up photograph of a dumpster with a sign that says "food waste"
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    Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. (2008). [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
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    Food waste responsible for 14% of US methane emissions, report finds

    The top solution for addressing food waste-related methane is centralized composting, says a report issued by ReFED with the support of the Global Methane Hub.

    By Jacob Wallace • Oct. 21, 2024
  • A street lined with trees, cars and manufactured homes
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    eyecrave productions via Getty Images
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    What does it take to decarbonize a manufactured home community?

    A community-scale retrofit project in Colorado offers a path toward lowering power bills for a population that faces high levels of energy insecurity.

    By Leslie Nemo • Oct. 18, 2024
  • A red Cadillac Lyriq in a garage plugged into a GM Energy residential charger.
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    Courtesy of General Motors
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    EV owners can store more energy from the grid with GM Energy’s new ‘PowerBank’

    The stationary energy storage unit can provide power to a home during an outage or help offset higher electricity rates during peak times. 

    By Eric Walz • Oct. 17, 2024
  • A water body surrounded by trees and green space with tall buildings in the background.
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    demerzel21 via Getty Images
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    13 green infrastructure projects get $60M across New York

    The devastation wrought by Hurricanes Helene and Milton is a reminder of how urgent resilience investments are, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday.

    By • Oct. 17, 2024
  • Plants grow in a garden. Irrigation lines run along the ground next to the plants.
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    Aaron Hawkins via Getty Images
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    Urban agriculture gets $9M boost from USDA

    Local groups in 10 cities are getting funds to connect urban food producers to federal services.

    By • Oct. 15, 2024
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    Thomas Demarczyk via Getty Images
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    How local zero-waste efforts can benefit from state resources

    Massachusetts and Colorado are helping municipalities leverage funding and technical assistance that may not often be accessible to smaller communities, said speakers at the National Zero Waste Conference.

    By Megan Quinn • Oct. 15, 2024
  • A close-up of an Uber app.
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    Matthew Horwood/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Uber spurs electric vehicle use with pop-ups in 4 cities, new features

    An AI-powered virtual assistant for EV-curious drivers is among the ride-share giant’s expanded green product suite.

    By Zoya Mirza • Oct. 14, 2024
  • Sustainable glass office building with trees for reducing carbon dioxide.
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    Fahroni via Getty Images
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    How to address a key building decarbonization barrier: the ‘split incentive gap’

    While landlords and developers foot the bill for efficiency upgrades, tenants benefit from lower energy costs. A Sustainable Markets Initiative road map outlines policies and other ways to address the mismatch.

    By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 11, 2024
  • Vegetation on the roof of a bus shelter. On the street below is a transit bus.
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    Retrieved from City of Boston.
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    Green roofs on bus shelters are Boston’s latest climate resilience move

    It's the nation’s largest single installation of green roofs on bus shelters, the city says. It hopes the infrastructure will ease stress on Boston’s aging drainage system.

    By • Oct. 11, 2024
  • Aerial shot of people inside a large indoor space. People sit on folding chairs and lay on mats on the floor.
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    Nathan Howard via Getty Images
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    Gas utility faces climate deception lawsuit by Oregon county

    It's the first time a U.S. community has sued a gas utility for allegedly deceiving the public about the climate impacts of fossil fuels, advocates say.

    By • Oct. 10, 2024
  • People use buckets to throw floodwater out the windows of a house surrounded by flooding.
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    Megan Varner via Getty Images
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    Bill aims to help disaster-struck communities excluded from federal relief

    The bipartisan proposal would give more communities access to federal dollars in the wake of increasing natural disasters.

    By • Oct. 9, 2024
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    Retrieved from Pixabay.
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    EPA requires lead pipes to be replaced nationwide within 10 years

    The landmark rule imposes the strictest limits on lead in drinking water since federal standards were set 30 years ago.

    By Julie Strupp • Oct. 8, 2024
  • A female engineer squats down to inspect and control the cooling system of a large factory air conditioner
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    Panupong Piewkleng via Getty Images
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    Skills gap looms for energy efficiency jobs tied to net-zero emission goals: IEA

    Dialogue among policymakers, employers and labor unions will play a critical role in training workers for skills relevant to the jobs being offered, a new International Energy Agency report says.

    By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 4, 2024
  • City skyline behind trees and homes.
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    benedek via Getty Images
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    What’s the value of a city’s nature? San Antonio pilots tool to find out.

    Designed by a Stanford University-based group, the tool shows how land use changes could impact carbon sequestration, urban cooling and residents’ access to nature. More cities may eventually get access.

    By • Oct. 3, 2024
  • A pile of election materials on the ground, with a truck in the background, in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
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    Permission granted by Delaware County Public Relations
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    How cities can handle election waste

    Local governments are preparing to deal with high volumes of yard signs, mailers and campaign material as the fall election season ramps up. Programs in Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida and elsewhere encourage recycling and reuse.

    By Adina Solomon • Oct. 2, 2024
  • Building debris falling into a river. Other houses still stand by the river.
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    Sean Rayford via Getty Images
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    FEMA’s push for resilience in building codes gets scrutiny in House hearing

    Emergency managers touted the cost-effectiveness of more resilient buildings, but keeping up with the latest codes is a struggle for some local governments and homebuilders.

    By • Oct. 2, 2024
  • Power crews work on the lines after Hurricane Helene
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    Joe Raedle/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    1.6M customers still without power after Helene; some local grids must ‘be completely rebuilt’

    Multiple utilities say they will need to completely rebuild, rather than repair, electric systems in the hardest-hit areas. 

    By Robert Walton • Oct. 1, 2024
  • Crowds of people walk on a city street
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    rarrarorro via Getty Images
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    2025’s top smart city conferences

    Smart city technology, housing, climate action, road safety and more will take center stage at events already announced for next year.

    By , • Oct. 1, 2024
  • Aerial shot of buildings on a sunny day
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    Alex Potemkin via Getty Images
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    Affordable multifamily housing owners would get decarbonization help in NYC proposal

    Building owners purchasing “offset certificates” to help meet Local Law 97’s greenhouse gas emissions-reduction requirements would pay into the fund.

    By • Sept. 30, 2024
  • Ali Zaidi, national climate advisor to Joe Biden, speaking at Climate Week
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    Lamar Johnson/Smart Cities Dive
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    Now is the time to ‘lean into’ decarbonizing transportation sector: Biden climate advisor

    Reducing transportation emissions represents a “massive public health opportunity,” Ali Zaidi, a national climate policy advisor for the Biden administration, said at Climate Week NYC.

    By Lamar Johnson • Sept. 30, 2024
  • An electric vehicle at a Tesla EV charging station.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Customer satisfaction with public EV charging is improving: JD Power

    Electric vehicle owners are particularly satisfied with the speed of public fast chargers. But public charging infrastructure isn’t keeping up with the number of EVs in service, a J.D. Power executive said.

    By Kalena Thomhave • Sept. 27, 2024