News
How do transportation agencies address human trafficking? US DOT awards recognize innovation
1+ hour, 40+ min ago (245+ words) New "counter-trafficking tools, initiatives, campaigns, and technologies" can qualify for monetary awards in a program accepting applications through June 22. Surface transportation presents fewer barriers to human trafficking than flying, Commuter Rail Coalition CEO Kelly Anne Gallagher told Smart Cities Dive…...
How Charleston, South Carolina, is setting the stage for thousands of affordable homes by 2032
1+ day, 1+ hour ago (464+ words) An "aggressive" new housing strategy includes pre-permitting city land and preapproving housing designs to fill gaps more quickly, the mayor said. The median income in Charleston, South Carolina, has doubled over the past 12 years, partly because of an influx of…...
A housing raffle is one community's effort to ensure new homes go to current residents
5+ day, 2+ hour ago (475+ words) Elk Grove Village, Illinois, created a "first-of-its-kind" public-private partnership to give residents first dibs on a new batch of single-family homes. In one Illinois village facing a tight housing supply and soaring costs, residents are being invited to gamble on…...
Cities rethink hiring to fill public works jobs
5+ day, 3+ hour ago (358+ words) Baltimore cut hiring bottlenecks, while Columbus, Ohio, partnered with a women's prison to connect overlooked workers to city careers, Work for America case studies found. One of the most promising pipelines for public works jobs in Columbus, Ohio, runs through…...
To expand housing, Maryland is turning to its largest landowner: itself
6+ day, 2+ hour ago (123+ words) New laws zone land near transit to incentivize housing and delay local impact fees for developers. Several states are stepping in with legislation to address affordable housing shortages, at times causing friction between states and localities over local zoning control....
Philadelphia clean energy campaign turned millions invested into billions saved. Here's how.
6+ day, 2+ hour ago (460+ words) By blending public and private financing, green banking and a coalition of labor, housing and community partners, the city generated 11, 000 jobs and $1. 4 billion in energy savings. The Philadelphia Energy Campaign, an initiative to advance energy affordability, resiliency and sustainability across…...
California considers high-speed buses
6+ day, 2+ hour ago (239+ words) Buses traveling at 120 mph on dedicated freeway lanes would connect San Francisco and Los Angeles in just over three hours, a California Department of Transportation research report estimates. The state that has been trying to build high-speed rail since 2008 is…...
As ARPA winds down, small cities ace the infrastructure funding test: NLC
1+ week, 1+ day ago (476+ words) Strong property tax revenue and federal recovery funds allowed many smaller municipalities to use cash rather than debt for projects, a National League of Cities report found. While most municipalities rely primarily on property taxes to pay for infrastructure, smaller…...
Los Angeles is reimagining parks as water infrastructure
1+ week, 1+ hour ago (302+ words) The network of park-based stormwater capture projects is designed to help replenish aquifers, improve water quality and enhance climate resilience in underserved neighborhoods. Los Angeles broke ground last week on the first of nine stormwater capture projects at parks in…...
How 4 cities are reshaping parks into strategic climate and community infrastructure
1+ week, 5+ day ago (472+ words) Urban parks can boost resilience, improve stormwater management and advance neighborhood equity, strengthening social cohesion in the process, the parks" developers say. "There"s so much creative work, so many new ideas about parks out there," Beatley said. Webinar panelists…...