Smart Cities Dive

The Maintenance Gap in Tree Planting Programs
Tree planting is a highly visible way to show investment in a community, but without regular maintenance, street trees can become a nuisance rather than a benefit.

FTA Announces $1.7 Billion in Clean Transit Grants
The grant funding fell far short of the $8.7 billion requested by transit agencies.

How Extreme Heat Drives Inter-Agency Collaboration
City officials tasked with addressing the impacts of extreme heat highlight the importance of aligning the efforts of multiple city departments.

Experts: Vision Zero Requires Far-Reaching Investment, Culture Shift
Road safety advocates say the 2021 infrastructure bill doesn’t fully commit to its stated goals to help cities eliminate pedestrian and cyclist deaths.

Colorado Governor Vetoes Affordable Housing Bill
The bill would have given cities the right of first refusal when multifamily housing projects come up for sale if the city wants to preserve them as affordable housing.

Amtrak Calls for Expansion, Citing Close to 100 Requests for New Lines
The agency told a House committee it has received more than 90 applications for new intercity rail lines from cities around the country.

Report: Austin’s State Roads Deadlier Than City Roads
Traffic fatalities and serious injuries grew on state-owned roads in the Texas capital, even as city-owned streets saw death rates plateau.

GAO: Reconnecting Communities Lacks Clear Goals and Metrics
The program, aimed at supporting highway removals and other projects that work to reverse the impacts of freeway construction, is light on accountability and performance measures, according to a new report.

How Small Cities Can Prepare for Extreme Heat
Without the resources of larger cities, towns with fewer resources can still work to coordinate efforts across agencies and plan for heat events early in the year.

Micromobility Plus Transit Equals Jobs
Linking micromobility options to public transit can improve job acessibility, new research finds.

New Federal Program To Support Services for Unhoused Residents
The ‘ALL INside’ initiative selected five cities and one state—California—for its inaugural efforts to offer assistance to homelessness services and help local agencies access federal funding and resources.

FHWA Issues New Pedestrian, Bike, Micromobility Guidance
The updated federal guidelines incorporate new policies created in the 2021 infrastructure law.

U.S. Rent Growth Slows, but Keeps Rising
The pace of rent growth is slowing, but U.S. renters still face growing housing costs in most metro areas.

Report: West Coast Must Come to Terms With Managed Retreat
As sea levels rise, experts say coastal communities have to overcome their resistance to managed retreat and plan for relocation.

Report: Racial Gap in Traffic Deaths Persists
Communities of color have significantly higher rates of traffic fatalities, according to federal research.

Report: Poor Access to Transportation Linked to Missed Healthcare
One in five Americans with limited access to transit and no vehicle have to forego medical appointments.

U.S. Road Deaths Keep Rising
Traffic safety advocates urge cities and states to lower speed limits and improve pedestrian infrastructure to stem the growth in traffic deaths and injuries.

Chicago’s Greyhound Station Could Close
The terminal, sold last year, is the only intercity bus station in the city, serving hundreds of thousands of mostly low-income travelers each year.

Regional Leaders Call for Expanded Amtrak Service
City leaders and transportation officials met to discuss their wish lists for intercity rail service.

FTA Announces Disaster Relief Funding for Transit
A $212 million program is aimed at helping transit agencies and cities affected by flooding, hurricanes, fires, and other disasters maintain transit operations and boost the resilience of their systems.
Pagination
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)