According to an ACEEE report, Boston currently leads the way, with New York, Washington, DC, and San Francisco not far behind. Los Angeles, Washington, and Chicago show the most improvement since 2013.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has released a new report on urban energy efficiency. The City Energy Efficiency Scorecard ranks 51 cities on the relative success of their energy savings programs since 2013 (when ACEEE released the first Scorecard). Analyzed across five policy areas, city programs were rated on how effectively they reduced end-use consumption through both direct and indirect means.
Key findings include:
- "Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Seattle are the most improved cities compared to the 2013 City Scorecard, with many showing double-digit improvements in their scores."
- "Atlanta, the leading city in the Southeast, saw an improvement of 5 points, earning new points for local government operations, buildings policies, energy and water utilities, and transportation policies."
- Room for vast improvement: "Boston was the only city to earn over 80 points, and only 13 cities earned more than half of the possible points."
FULL STORY: Boston, NYC, Washington, DC, San Francisco, and Seattle Rank as America’s Most Energy-Efficient US Cities

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

Research: Walkability Linked to Improved Public Health
A study reveals that the density of city blocks is a significant factor in communities’ walkability and, subsequently, improved public health outcomes for residents.

Report Outlines Strategies for Resilient Wildfire Recovery in LA
Project Recovery offers a roadmap for rebuilding more sustainable and climate-resilient communities after wildfires and other disasters.

New Executive Order Renews Attack on Public Lands
An order issued late last week pushes for increased mineral extraction on federally owned public lands.
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