Housing and Urban Issues
Stresses on urban communities continue to affect housing, food security, child services, homelessness, business development and crime. Coverage includes stories about new solutions to how cities are run, how they develop as urban centers and about the people who live there.
Cities and states scrambled to house homeless people in hotels and motels during the emergency phase of the pandemic. Many communities still find it’s a good model.
The nation’s governors are delving into their varied policy priorities for the coming year, but a new shared reality is emerging: Governors are committed to ensuring that everyone has access to the Internet.
Chatbots, application automation are changing the real-estate industry slowly but surely. But some buyers still want what automation doesn’t have: human interaction without security threats.
Ann Arbor, Mich., only has about 47 percent of the workers it needs to ensure an accurate count for the 2020 Census. The jobs would pay up to $23 an hour. Officials encourage people to “be a part of history.”
The St. Paul police will begin testing new video technology that will help them look for clues and suspects. But some are concerned about the tech being misused. “It’s fundamentally changing the way that you police people.”
The city hopes to reduce future spills and breaks by replacing old pipes and using drones to inspect pipes in hard-to-reach areas. Officials hope to “improve neighborhood infrastructure and better protect our environment.”
There is a high risk of undercounting in Texas due to privacy concerns of immigrants and hard-to-count locations. But several poverty-fighting programs rely heavily on funding determined by the census count.
Shreveport, La., and Boulder, Colo., are using tools like open source development, flatter organizational structures and performance dashboards to inspire continuous improvements in each city’s use of technology.
A sleek museum, built within the ruins of what was once one of the largest flour mills in the country, tells the story of how the city flourished thanks to its mills and the waterpower of the Mississippi River.
Last year millions of Californians were left without phone or Internet connections during wildfire-caused blackouts. Now lawmakers are working to ensure that those same issues don’t happen again.
Kansas City, Mo., will remove the $1.50 bus fare this year to further encourage residents to use the system. But having accessible public transit is only one part of the city’s wider goal of improving quality of life.
Los Angeles, Calif., Unified School District proposed a way to help low-income students, the Transportation Authority and the environment: give 60,000 students free metro rides. If it passes, it just might work.
The Steel City's splendid architectural gem of a bridge — one of 400 in Pittsburgh — has its roots in Venice, Italy, yet was designed by America’s foremost architect of the 19th century.
Ellicott City, Md., has been devastated twice by flooding rivers that traverse the city. But one man has built a homemade warning system he hopes will save property and lives the next time the flood waters rise.
The Montana city partnered with a Texas-based company to create an app to identify issues like potholes and broken parking kiosks. The app keeps the city accountable but also gives citizens more control
Our cities' transportation landscape is being dramatically altered. But a focus on small disputes overlooks the larger value questions that need to be addressed.
Between the pending legislation that would enact a $5,000 rebate and the state’s ambitious goals, environmental groups think New Jersey could be a national leader in the industry.
City officials are optimistic that implementing an app for the annual homeless count will yield more accurate results. Drones will be sent out before the volunteers to find encampments to make the process more efficient.
Three winners will get access to Coord’s software, apps and APIs, and collaboration from the company’s experts, to deliver a project by the end of the year to make local streets and sidewalks safer or more efficient.
Ann Arbor, Mich., is using its ongoing partnership with the University of Michigan and private industry to gather and share data from connected vehicle and infrastructure interactions.
The U.S. senator wants GPS apps to make information about road restrictions available so truck drivers can reroute if they won’t fit under a bridge. The update would reduce traffic backups and save the state wasted transportation funding.
E-Bikes have become an extremely common transport option in California’s Bay Area but they might not be suited for all. Cars are cheaper for many and, in some cases, can provide shelter that bikes can’t.
Zeeland Public Schools received a state grant in September for the purchase of electric buses, three of which are already on the road. They’re healthy, quiet, and an opportunity to teach environmental education.
Verizon will establish 5G in Lake Nona, and then Tavistock will create tech-testing programs that use the 5G. The Orlando suburb already has an autonomous shuttle, but officials are excited to be “a real-world testbed.”
Alameda, Calif., officials were debating if the license plate cameras would assure some residents of safety or perpetuate racial profiling. The city decided to use the cameras but wants feedback on effectiveness.
The event was reminiscent of the Wright brothers’ first flight 116 years ago, “But first in flight isn’t just something that we were — it’s something that we are.” Only this aircraft can go 80 mph with 600 pounds of cargo.
The system has been used in elections in six counties so far and will be implemented statewide come February. The voting machines use screens and paper to ensure security and will be used for the spring presidential primary.
The phone equipment company’s Snapdragon Ride platform focuses on driver assist technology and hopes to be foundational for driverless vehicles. Qualcomm hopes to see products with their platform in production by 2023.
The Ray, an 18-mile stretch of Interstate 85 in southern Georgia, functions as a test bed for next-generation transportation technologies, including striping to enable autonomous vehicle use.
From a (reputed) nontraditional location for the penning of one of America's more popular Christmas songs, to a decked-out statue of the founder of Communism, we take a look at some less-than-conventional holiday festivities.
By building on the data they gave away in the HQ2 competition, they can support the real engine of job growth: entrepreneurship
