California spent $1.3B in cap-and-trade funds on climate, equity projects in 2022

The California Climate Investments funding addressed affordable housing, transportation, energy costs, extreme heat, fire, access to clean drinking water and more, a California Air Resources Board official said.

By Kalena Thomhave • May 2, 2023

Mobility could be transformed by 2035, with US car sales dropping 30%: report

As cities and consumers move toward new mobility options, “the mobility ecosystem will most likely undergo a transformation not seen since the early days of the automobile,” a McKinsey report says.

By Michael Brady • May 2, 2023

Explore the Trendline➔

Smart Cities Technology and Data

Cities are increasingly looking to technology and data to address real-world issues from traffic safety to law enforcement.

By Smart Cities Dive staff

Delivery robot expansion hampered by ‘regulatory nightmare’

While no states outright ban delivery bots, tech developers have decided to take a cautious approach to expansion rather than flood the market with robots and risk backlash.

By Max Garland • April 28, 2023

Uber, Lyft more responsive to ride demand than taxis are during emergencies: study

“In light of our findings, service providers and city planners should reevaluate and improve their mobility platform, particularly under emergencies, disasters and hazards,” one researcher said.

By Michael Brady • April 28, 2023

Cybersecurity best practices for smart cities issued by CISA

Smart city technologies are at risk “of exploitation for espionage and for financial or political gain by malicious threat actors,” according to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

By Michael Brady • April 21, 2023

FedEx and Amazon still haven’t figured out sidewalk delivery robots. Will mass adoption ever come?

Delivery giants' tests of autonomous bots fizzled out. But many logistics experts still believe that the technology can catch on, creating potential challenges for cities.

By Max Garland • April 13, 2023

Google’s free tree canopy tool now covers hundreds more cities. Here’s how early adopters are using it.

In Austin and Chicago, the tool has helped empower and engage community members, leaders said. The tech giant plans to expand it to thousands more cities this year. 

By Ysabelle Kempe • April 13, 2023

NYC launches online portal for city services, benefits

Mayor Eric Adams said the online portal, dubbed MyCity, would make it easier for residents to apply for benefits by reducing bureaucracy and red tape.

By Michael Brady • March 31, 2023

Drone companies gearing up to meet lofty delivery goals

Zipline and Alphabet's Wing aim to scale up and reach more customers, which could soon lead to millions of deliveries each year, according to the companies.

By Max Garland • March 31, 2023

Chicago tests new parking enforcement tech, smart loading zones

Mayor Lightfoot asked the city council to consider the pilot projects to increase road safety in January, after the parents of a young girl killed in a traffic collision filed a lawsuit alleging the city allowed unsafe road conditions.

By Michael Brady • March 16, 2023

Can tech startups make delivery less of a headache for cities?

The proliferation of delivery services was a boon during the pandemic, but traffic, parking and labor concerns have followed. Tech and startup leaders spoke recently about how to reduce those impacts.

By Maylin Tu • March 13, 2023

Driving change: How cities can use AI to revolutionize road repair

What if there was a way to detect the problems of deteriorating roads before they become major issues?

March 13, 2023

How scale and automation can enhance employee and constituent lives—really

Government technology leaders are helping address staffing shortages and improve employee and constituent experiences, while also driving organizational and IT benefits and increasing their agencies’ agility.

March 13, 2023

EPA unveils cybersecurity oversight for public drinking water systems

“Cyberattacks that are targeting water systems pose a real and significant threat to our security,” said Radhika Fox, assistant administrator for the EPA Office of Water, during a teleconference with reporters.

By David Jones • March 6, 2023

White House releases national cyber strategy, shifting security burden

“We ask individuals, small businesses and local governments to shoulder a significant burden for defending us all. This isn’t just unfair, it’s ineffective,” said Kemba Walden, acting national cyber director, during a call with reporters.

By David Jones • March 3, 2023

Virginia county launches smart parking pilot

Arlington County, Virginia, has partnered with eleven-x to install approximately 5,000 sensors in on-street parking spaces, allowing drivers to use signs and an app to get real-time information about parking availability.

By Michael Brady • Feb. 17, 2023

Tesla to make some of its EV chargers public as White House announces rules for national charging network

The rules will require federally funded chargers to be built in the United States, beginning with final assembly and some manufacturing processes.

By Robert Walton • Feb. 15, 2023

‘Noise cameras’ aim to address vehicle nuisance complaints on city streets

Aftermarket vehicle exhaust systems are a noisy nuisance on some streets and intersections. Cities are trying new technology to pinpoint the problem and, in one city, ticket the offenders.

By Dan Rosenbaum • Feb. 15, 2023

Smart city conferences to attend in 2023

The tenth Bloomberg CityLab — a global cities summit — will take place in Washington, D.C., this fall.

By Michael Brady • Updated Sept. 5, 2023

House bill aims to create lending institution for infrastructure projects

The Federal Infrastructure Bank would work with state and local partners on private infrastructure investments via loans and loan guarantees, helping finance work such as transportation projects and broadband connectivity.

By Jennifer Goodman • Feb. 8, 2023

Philly launches digital tool to ease building permitting process

The pilot aims to improve access to information about necessary permits, approvals and other requirements for some residential and commercial projects, the city said.

By Michael Brady • Feb. 7, 2023

2023 Smart Cities Outlook

In the year ahead, city leaders will face economic headwinds while tackling the housing shortage and changes in travel behavior and decarbonizing transportation and buildings.

By Michael Brady • Feb. 1, 2023

ChargePoint, Stem strike EV charging and battery storage deal for highway corridor fast-charging networks

Combining charging, battery storage and AI-driven energy management will save money for EV site operators, the companies say.

By Stephen Singer • Feb. 1, 2023

10 US cities ready for a ‘smart city future’

Tomorrow’s smart cities will have robust technology and green infrastructure, along with strong tech job markets, according to a report from real estate technology company ProptechOS.

By Michael Brady • Feb. 1, 2023

DC launches public shared micromobility dashboard

The District of Columbia also announced that VeoRide would operate shared electric scooters and bikes in the city, but Helbiz and Bird will not.

By Michael Brady • Jan. 30, 2023