Bhavya Kukrety has joined Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG) as Managing Director of Asia Pacific WATG welcomes Bhavya Kukrety as the new Managing Director of Asia Pacific, where she will focus on strengthening WATG’s integrated approach across the region, embedding sustainability, ecology and resilience into the firm’s built-environment work. Her leadership will enhance design intelligence, project delivery, and long-term value, while keeping human experience, cultural context and place at the heart of every project. Bhavya will draw on 22 years of experience in the industry where she has delivered sustainable, high-quality solutions to complex land planning problems. As Managing Director at Meinhardt Group, she led over 20 large-scale projects, from bid strategy to execution, and unified delivery teams across its urban development, infrastructure, sustainability, and digital verticals. Bhavya also served as Director of Urban Development, where she was responsible for urban infrastructure planning and design projects and smart city development initiatives. Bhavya holds a bachelor's degree in architecture from IPS Academy and a master's in urban and regional planning from the School of Planning and Architecture. She was recognized as a Top LinkedIn Voice 2024 for insights on urban infrastructure, sustainability, and digital transformation. She has been a keynote speaker and panelist, including SCULPT @ SMU (Singapore Management University), Future Cultures Hong Kong, RICS Smart Buildings Summit, and GITEX Smart Cities Forum.
Jul 8, 2026 · via hospitalitynet.org
Ministry of Commerce & Industry NICDC’s Logistics Arm NLDSL and Government of Punjab Sign MoU to Strengthen Digital Logistics Ecosystem ULIP-Enabled Partnership to Enhance Transparency, Logistics Efficiency and Data-Driven Decision-Making in Punjab ULIP Connects 46 Government Systems Across 12 Central Ministries Through 142 APIs Posted On: 08 JUL 2026 5:22PM by PIB Delhi NICDC Logistics Data Services Limited (NLDSL) and the Directorate of Industries & Commerce, Government of Punjab, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on July 7, 2026, to support the digital transformation of Punjab's logistics ecosystem through the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP). The collaboration aims to enhance logistics visibility, improve operational efficiency, strengthen inter-departmental coordination and enable data-driven decision-making through the seamless exchange of real-time logistics data. The initiative is expected to benefit industries, MSMEs, exporters and other logistics stakeholders across the State. Through this partnership, NLDSL will support the Government of Punjab in developing a digitally connected logistics ecosystem by enabling seamless data exchange across departments through ULIP. The initiative is expected to improve transparency, facilitate faster policy and operational decision-making, enhance logistics efficiency and strengthen Punjab's competitiveness as a manufacturing, agricultural and export hub. ULIP serves as a unified digital gateway for logistics-related data from multiple government systems through API-based integration. The platform currently integrates 46 systems across 12 Central Ministries and Departments through 142 APIs, covering more than 2,000 data fields. It has enabled the development of over 260 applications and facilitated more than 450 crore API transactions, demonstrating its scale, reliability and robustness. Following the signing of the MoU, an interactive ULIP workshop was organised for senior officials from key State departments, including Transport, Warehousing, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Public Works Department, Civil Aviation and other stakeholders. The workshop focused on identifying State-specific use cases for ULIP to address logistics challenges,
Jul 8, 2026 · via pib.gov.in
Dive Brief: - The New York City Council last week approved Int. 31, a bill to expand commercial organics diversion requirements. The bill is set to become law without Mayor Zohran Mamdani's signature. - During a hearing last week, New York City Department of Sanitation Commissioner Gregory Anderson was supportive of the bill, which could require more food-related businesses to divert organic materials from disposal starting next year. - The city continues to debate ways to bolster its organics diversion requirements. Sponsors reintroduced another bill, Int. 396, that would set minimum composting capacity for each borough, and the measure has the support of new sanitation committee chair Justin Sanchez. Dive Insight: New York is one of several states that have enacted a commercial organics diversion requirement for large generators. In 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law that gradually increases the number of businesses subject to the requirements: those that generate one ton per week were subject to the law as of January of this year, while the threshold ratchets down to those that generate half a ton per week in January 2028. Businesses subject to the law are required to donate edible food, and must also recycle scraps if they are within 25 miles of an organics recycler. New York City has also looked for ways to incentivize increased organic waste diversion. While all residences were required to separate their organics as of April 1, 2025, the capture rate for the curbside collection program has been low. The city also looked to incentivize more businesses to separate organics by requiring haulers in the commercial waste zone program to provide a discount for the separated organics stream, with limited uptake. Int. 31 allows DSNY to require a wide swath of commercial businesses that handle food to divert scraps
Jul 8, 2026 · via wastedive.com
Brightline Florida’s day of reckoning with its lenders may be coming soon. The privately owned, 235-mile railroad connecting Miami and Orlando, Florida, faces a July 15 deadline to make a payment on $985 million in “commuter” bonds, according to The Bond Buyer. The Florida Development Finance Corp., which issued the bonds, previously agreed with bondholders to defer payment from Feb. 17 to July 1, and then to July 15. If Brightline or its affiliates default on making the required payments, it could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation, according to a Feb. 5 FDFC memorandum. The company’s total debt stands at $5.5 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. In Brightline Florida’s 2024 and 2025 combined financial statements, its independent auditors wrote that “substantial doubt exists about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.” Brightline Florida’s problem isn’t ridership: The railroad carried nearly 1.5 million passengers from January to May this year, a 16% increase over the same period last year. But ticket and ancillary revenues aren’t covering operating expenses and debt interest, according to its latest financial statement. “Brightline continues to need additional liquidity to address operating requirements, as well as upcoming debt service payments,” the company said in its May 2026 revenue and ridership report. Discussions around debt restructuring or bankruptcy are underway, according to multiple news reports. A railroad entering bankruptcy is different from an airline, which can sell and transfer its aircraft, gates and other assets, Ivan Reich, a bankruptcy attorney at Florida-based Nason Yeager, told Smart Cities Dive. Reich does not represent any of the parties related to Brightline Florida. A railroad can’t be picked up and moved, he explained, making bankruptcy more likely. “Generally, what happens when you go into bankruptcy is you get a pause, and then you try to restructure
Jul 8, 2026 · via smartcitiesdive.com
Dive Brief: - The Federation of American Scientists on Tuesday released its State and Local Heat Policy Agenda outlining what’s needed to protect residents and communities from extreme heat, with a searchable database of more than 400 evidence-based policy solutions and case studies from all 50 states. - Endorsed by nearly 150 organizations and government officials representing more than 40 states, the agenda complements FAS’s federally oriented 2025 Heat Policy Agenda, “recognizing the growing importance of state and local leadership on climate-related extreme weather events such as extreme heat,” according to an FAS news release. - FAS built a coalition of government officials, policymakers, advocacy and community-based organizations and other contributors to promote the 2025 Heat Policy Agenda, Grace Wickerson, FAS senior manager of climate and health, told Smart Cities Dive. But “so much change has happened at the federal level,” she said. “Much of what we put in this document still aspirationally and principally needs to be done, but the capacity to do it has been severely diminished.” Dive Insight: Nearly 150 daily high-temperature records fell across the U.S. between June 30 and July 5, and another heat dome is developing this week. “As America celebrated its 250th anniversary this past weekend, over 185 million Americans — over half the population — were under an extreme heat alert,” FAS Associate Director of Climate and Environment Hannah Safford said in a statement. “The State and Local Heat Policy Agenda helps communities adapt to this new normal, by providing easy access to the solutions that science shows can effectively curb the worst impacts of dangerously hot temperatures.” Wickerson spoke with state and local government officials in all 50 states during her research for the agenda. “There’s a lot of rising concern about how hot this summer is going to be and
Jul 8, 2026 · via smartcitiesdive.com
Human Longevity Global and Smart Cities Council Launch the Healthspan Scorecard⢠Healthspan: The New Framework for Human Capacity, Strategic Position Paper by Dr. Melissa Grill-Petersen, Founder of Human Longevity Global Dr. Melissa Grill-Petersen, DC, MS, BCHH, Founder of Human Longevity Global and creator of The Healthspan Index™ a globally recognized thought leader in longevity science, healthspan design, and human flourishing. New partnership makes healthspan a core city-design metric alongside connectivity and mobility, with a documented $38 trillion economic opportunity at stake. LAS VEGAS, NV, UNITED STATES, July 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Human Longevity Global (HLG) and the Smart Cities Council (SCC) today announced a global partnership to advance healthspan as a measurable standard for city, government, and organizational design. At the center of the collaboration is HLGâs proprietary Healthspan Indexâ¢, an integrated measurement system designed to evaluate the conditions that build or erode human capacity over time, and the Healthspan Scorecard, its assessment and reporting tool for governments, cities, and organizations. Through the partnership, the Smart Cities Council becomes the first global smart cities organization to integrate the Healthspan Index⢠into its broader urban readiness and development ecosystem. The collaboration marks a significant evolution in how smart communities are defined: moving beyond measuring infrastructure performance alone to assessing the vitality, resilience, and capacity of the people living within them. For the first time, healthspan can sit alongside mobility, connectivity, energy efficiency, sustainability, and economic performance as a measurable consideration in the design, evaluation, and improvement of communities. By the numbers: $5.3 trillion â U.S. healthcare spending in 2024, equal to approximately $15,474 per person and 18% of GDP, with spending projected to exceed 20% of GDP by 2034 $38 trillion â the estimated economic value to the United States of adding just one healthy year to average life expectancy, according
Jul 8, 2026 · via einpresswire.com
Gasgoo Munich-Faraday Future presses ahead with its Middle East strategy for commercializing EAI robotics. On July 8, it announced accelerated rollouts via strategic partnerships. These span the UAE, GCC, and eventually the broader MENA region.
Image credit: Faraday Future
Faraday Future Mobility Trading L.L.C. signed strategic MOUs with the Chinese Entrepreneurs General Association and Action To Action Trading LLC. It is also exploring opportunities with Ibtikar Robotics, a UAE-based AI solutions provider.
The partnerships mark a critical step for Faraday Future's robotics framework in the Middle East. The collaboration spans market entry, channel development, deployment, and support. This framework aims to move the company from rollout to long-term commercialization.
The CGCC tie-up connects Faraday Future to commercial networks in the UAE and GCC. The Action To Action partnership focuses on system integration and government projects. The Ibtikar Robotics collaboration centers on education, covering STEM learning and robot leasing.
The Middle East's focus on AI and smart cities offers opportunities for Faraday Future's EAI robots, the company stated. These partnerships will support its 'trinity' ecosystem strategy. Powered by hardware, data, and the EAI brain, it prepares for scaled deployments.
Jul 8, 2026 · via autonews.gasgoo.com
Faraday Future is Bringing Rental Humanoid Robots to the UAE Best known for its electric cars, the Nasdaq-listed company has signed cooperation agreements with regional partners covering education, hospitality, healthcare, smart cities—and rentable robots. Best known for its electric cars, Faraday Future - the California-based, Nasdaq-listed Embodied AI company - announced that it is moving ahead with its Middle East robotics plans through a set of cooperation agreements spanning the UAE and GCC, with the possibility of reaching the wider MENA region. The push runs through Faraday Future Mobility Trading, the company's Dubai-based regional hub for intelligent mobility and robotics products. The agreements include memoranda with the Chinese Entrepreneurs General Association and Action To Action Trading, alongside cooperation opportunities with Ibtikar Robotics, a UAE-based company specialising in intelligent automation, educational robotics and service robotics. Together, the partnerships are expected to cover market access, distribution, system integration, government and enterprise projects, and after-sales support—the practical scaffolding needed to move humanoid robots from showroom curiosities to working machines across education, hospitality, retail, healthcare and smart city settings. The most intriguing detail sits in the Ibtikar arrangement, which points towards robotics curriculum distribution, STEM programmes and rental-based deployment—meaning UAE schools and businesses could eventually hire a robot rather than buy one. It all feeds into Faraday Future's larger strategy of building what it calls a Three-in-One ecosystem of devices, data and an EAI Brain, with the Middle East positioned as a key testing ground for putting Embodied AI to work in the real world. - Previous Article Beit Al Sharbatly Launches Summer Debate Camp in Jeddah - Next Article XP Conversations: Autostrad Trending This Week - Jul 02, 2026
Jul 8, 2026 · via cairoscene.com
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Jul 8, 2026 · via youtube.com
Faraday Future Advances Middle East EAI Robotics Strategy Through Strategic Cooperation with Local UAE and GCC Ecosystem Partners Published Tuesday, July 7, 2026 | 2 p.m. Updated Tuesday, July 7, 2026 | 2:02 p.m. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 7, 2026-- Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. (NASDAQ: FFAI) (“Faraday Future,” “FF,” or the “Company”), a California-based global Embodied AI (EAI) ecosystem company, today announced continued progress in its Middle East EAI robotics commercialization strategy through strategic cooperation frameworks and regional ecosystem collaboration across the UAE, GCC, and potentially the broader MENA region. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260707311651/en/ Faraday Future Advances Middle East EAI Robotics Strategy Through Strategic Cooperation with Local UAE and GCC Ecosystem Partners Faraday Future Mobility Trading L.L.C., FF’s UAE-based regional business hub for intelligent mobility and robotics products across the Middle East and GCC markets, is working to build a stronger local foundation for FF’s EAI robotics business. The Company’s regional cooperation includes strategic cooperation memoranda with Chinese Entrepreneurs General Association Co. LLC (“CGCC”) and Action To Action Trading LLC (“Action To Action”), as well as regional ecosystem cooperation opportunities with Ibtikar Robotics. The strategic significance of these cooperation frameworks goes beyond individual channel expansion. They are expected to help FF establish a more structured regional commercialization pathway covering market access, partner development, customer engagement, project opportunities, technical support, after-sales service, and ecosystem collaboration. This structure may support FF in moving from product introduction toward broader real-world deployment and long-term commercial scaling in the Middle East. As a U.S.-based Physical AI and EAI robotics company, FF views the Middle East as an important strategic region for global robotics commercialization. The region’s strong focus on AI, smart cities, education innovation, automation, public sector modernization, and digital transformation provides meaningful opportunities for FF
Jul 7, 2026 · via lasvegassun.com
Abstract A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) refers to the network of spatially dispersed sensors that records and monitors physical conditions of an environment and forwards the obtained data to Base Station (BS). These networks are widely employed in applications like smart cities, environmental monitoring, and industrial automation. However, minimizing delay in energy-efficient clustering and routing is challenging because energy constraints often require sensors to enter low-power states, which causes delays in communication. Therefore, effective energy management and selection of optimal multi-hop routing paths are essential to minimize delays and prevent network congestion. This research proposes Multi-Objective Di-Strategy GrayLag Goose Optimization (MO-DSGGO) to optimize energy efficiency and reduce delay via effective clustering and routing in WSN. Logistic mapping and symmetric adaptive division population are the di strategies, which are used for population initialization and balancing exploration, which enhance diversity and effectively search the solution space. Distance between Cluster Head (CH) and BS, intra-cluster distance, node degree, average delay during transmission, and residual energy are the multi-objectives, which are utilized as fitness functions for CH and route path selection. MO-DSGGO achieves less delay of 0.176 ms and reduced energy consumption of 7.2 J for scenario 2 with 100 nodes and network size of \(\:1200\times\:1200\) mts and obtains throughput of 95% in scenario 7 with 250 nodes and \(\:100\times\:100{\:m}^{2}\) in MATLAB R2020b. These improvements represent clear superiority over existing methods like Energy Optimization Routing by applying an improved Artificial Bee Colony (EOR-iABC) and Energy Optimization Approach Medium access control Routing Cross-Layer (EOAMRCL). Also, the proposed method obtains better convergence analysis that represents rapid and more stable performance. MO-DSGGO achieves longer node lifetime of 97.272% with Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) of 95.38%, and throughput of 14,297 BPS compared to Energy Efficient Lifetime-aware Cluster-based Routing (EELCR) that demonstrates more reliable and efficient network utilization. Similar
Jul 7, 2026 · via nature.com
22.7 million. That’s how many renters are considered cost-burdened in the U.S., each spending more than 30% of their income to keep a roof over their heads, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies 2026 State of the Nation’s Housing report. It’s a record high, surging by 2.3 million since 2019. This year, the National Low Income Housing Coalition launched a 2025 national renter survey to home in on renters’ experiences. The survey was conducted between July and December 2025. Here are four takeaways from the report for local government leaders. Low-income renters face heightened housing instability It’s well documented that the affordable housing crisis impacts the nation’s lowest-income households the most. An estimated 11 million low-income households are competing for less than 4 million housing options within their price range, according to JCHS. The NLIHC survey details the instability such renters face, with one in five renters earning below $25,000 reporting moving at least three times in the past two years, compared with 7.1% of movers at or above that income level. Overall, about 30 million adult renters moved at least once in the past two years, the survey found, with 64% doing so just once. Many renters are hitting a wall with housing assistance Nine in 10 renters receiving some form of housing assistance had incomes below $50,000, according to the survey. “Housing assistance provided by federal, state, and local governments plays a critical role in keeping renters stably housed as rising rents remain out of reach for so many households,” the report states. However, around 5.7 million renters surveyed said they or someone in their household applied for housing assistance in the past two years and did not receive it. Among those who applied and did not receive assistance, 37.8% were denied assistance, 36.8% were
Jul 7, 2026 · via multifamilydive.com
July 7, 2026 Neha Arora and Aboudy Kreidieh, Software Engineers, Google Research We demonstrate the effect of network-aware routing in navigation apps on improving network efficiency. Vehicle transportation underpins much of modern life, enabling the movement of goods and people, productivity, and economic growth. However, the costs are high: drivers spend an average of 2.6 years of their life on the road, and private cars and vans now account for around 10% of global CO2 emissions. Hence, the efficient use of transportation networks is of paramount importance. Can road traffic routing be managed system-wide the way aviation manages airspace or the internet routes data packets? While ground transportation has historically lacked a physical control tower, digital platforms offer a powerful glimpse into a more coordinated future. The proliferation of navigation services, connected vehicles, smart cities, and autonomous vehicles all provide opportunities to improve both measurement and optimization of transportation resources. Google Research has already demonstrated the power of infrastructure-level intervention with Project Green Light, which uses AI to optimize city traffic lights. Unfortunately, optimizing vehicle networks has proven challenging. While individual vehicle routing is standard across all the top navigation products, optimizing routing system-wide is not yet present. Although theoretical models for network optimization exist, large-scale empirical validation remains limited, thereby hindering forward progress. In “Urban congestion relief experiments through routing-app interventions”, published in Nature Cities, we present the first large-scale, real-world study into the use of navigation platforms to improve traffic. We show that coordinating even a small fraction of trips to disperse traffic can measurably improve driving speeds and reduce emissions for the entire city. It also establishes an experimentation framework for evolving from individual trip optimization toward a cooperative routing paradigm that enhances total network efficiency. We ran an experiment in 10 major US cities to demonstrate
Jul 7, 2026 · via research.google
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia underscores deep strategic realignments, a powerful municipal bridge is transforming how the premier urban centres of India and Australia prepare for a technology-driven future. In a major milestone for decentralised diplomacy, the civic administrations of Melbourne and Bengaluru have formally established a collaborative partnership to pioneer smart city innovations. The structured framework of this innovative city-to-city alliance was set in motion by a landmark visit last year, when the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne led an official high-level municipal delegation to India-marking the city’s first such diplomatic mission to the subcontinent in many years. A primary and natural stop on that itinerary was Bengaluru. Recognising their profound operational synergies, the City of Melbourne and Bengaluru signed a strategic Letter of Intent to establish a formal “Friendship City” relationship. While both metropolises are celebrated as vibrant “Garden Cities,” they are increasingly defined globally as “Knowledge Cities” fueled by robust innovation and tech-driven economies. As rapidly expanding metropolitan hubs, both cities face parallel, high-stakes challenges in municipal governance-most notably urban congestion and the urgent need for long-term climate resilience. By combining their shared strengths within the knowledge economy, planners from both Melbourne and Bengaluru are establishing a futuristic blueprint, proving that advanced technology and mutual expertise will provide the definitive answers to complex urban challenges.
Jul 7, 2026 · via newsonair.gov.in
The worldwide Out-of-Band LTE Management Market is forecasted to experience tremendous growth because companies are focused on ensuring continuous operation of their network, secure access from afar, and intelligent infrastructure management. “According to a recent study by SNS Insider, the global Out-of-Band LTE Management Market size valued at USD 1.58 billion in 2025, is anticipated to grow to USD 6.34 billion by 2035, registering a CAGR of 14.98% over the 2026–2035 forecast period.” With the ongoing rapid adoption of digital transformation in organizations, it is important to ensure that there is continuous connectivity. Companies in the fields of telecommunication, banking, healthcare, manufacturing, and governance have invested in out-of-band LTE management platforms to ensure uninterrupted access to the infrastructure by the administrators. To Get Detailed Insights on the Out-of-Band LTE Management Market – Request a Free Sample Report The increased usage of edge computing, cloud-native solutions, and Internet of Things (IoT) has made the market demand stronger than ever before. The businesses are showing interest in the robust network infrastructure that can enable real-time monitoring, recovery, and remote troubleshooting without any disruptions to operations. Rising Digital Infrastructure Investments Create Long-Term Growth Opportunities The modernization of network infrastructures by organizations all over the world to facilitate their decentralized network systems in today’s age of distributed and hybrid work environments is making sure that such organizations need to have dedicated management lines that can operate even if there are disruptions in the functioning of the production networks. The increasing adoption of edge computing technology in manufacturing plants, logistic centers, utilities, retailers, and smart cities is providing many benefits to the out-of-band LTE management vendors in terms of business opportunities. Secure remote management technology allows IT professionals to supervise their far-flung assets without physically going to them. In addition, the advancements in technologies like
Jul 7, 2026 · via snsinsider.com
22.7 million. That’s how many renters are considered cost-burdened in the U.S., each spending more than 30% of their income to keep a roof over their heads, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies 2026 State of the Nation’s Housing report. It’s a record high, surging by 2.3 million since 2019. This year, the National Low Income Housing Coalition launched a 2025 national renter survey to home in on renters’ experiences. The survey was conducted between July and December 2025. Here are four takeaways from the report for local government leaders. Low-income renters face heightened housing instability It’s well documented that the affordable housing crisis impacts the nation’s lowest-income households the most. An estimated 11 million low-income households are competing for less than 4 million housing options within their price range, according to JCHS. The NLIHC survey details the instability such renters face, with one in five renters earning below $25,000 reporting moving at least three times in the past two years, compared with 7.1% of movers at or above that income level. Overall, about 30 million adult renters moved at least once in the past two years, the survey found, with 64% doing so just once. Many renters are hitting a wall with housing assistance Nine in 10 renters receiving some form of housing assistance had incomes below $50,000, according to the survey. “Housing assistance provided by federal, state, and local governments plays a critical role in keeping renters stably housed as rising rents remain out of reach for so many households,” the report states. However, around 5.7 million renters surveyed said they or someone in their household applied for housing assistance in the past two years and did not receive it. Among those who applied and did not receive assistance, 37.8% were denied assistance, 36.8% were
Jul 7, 2026 · via smartcitiesdive.com
Tuesday’s Headlines Stay Healthy More walkable neighborhoods would ease the burden on our overtaxed health care system, according to MIT. By Blake Aued 12:01 AM EDT on July 7, 2026 Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York. Read More: Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org. More from Streetsblog USA How to Save 8 Million Lives in 20 Years We get it, cars and trucks are awful. But if we are going to have them, they need to be electric. July 8, 2026 Wednesday’s Headlines Look for Help If the Trump administration slashes funding for transit, how will agencies replace that money? July 8, 2026 Boston Charges Ahead With E-Buses After NYC Raises Issues Of Reliability "Zero-emission buses are not where they need to be," a New York transit official said, but Boston is moving ahead. July 7, 2026 Rural and Disabled Pennsylvanians Fighting For Transit As Keystone State Budget Nears Late Deal Transit is in peril across the Commonwealth, but not all cuts are created equal. July 6, 2026 Monday’s Headlines Enjoyed the Fireworks Get ready for more if autonomous vehicles ever become ubiquitous. July 6, 2026
Jul 7, 2026 · via usa.streetsblog.org
City leaders face a catch-22 when it comes to funding infrastructure projects for climate resilience, energy management and other green initiatives, University of Maryland researcher Anton Steshenko told Smart Cities Dive. Institutional investors such as pension funds and insurance companies collectively manage trillions of dollars and are searching for long-term investments that provide cash flow, Steshenko said. Infrastructure resilience projects could meet that demand, but most municipal infrastructure projects are too small, fragmented and complex for institutional investors to get involved, he said. The institutional investors “don’t want to have to analyze each $5 million project,” he said. “They want to make a contribution to local government but don’t have the tools to do that.” As a result, smaller municipalities struggle to access capital, and instead use their public funds for infrastructure loans or grants rather than leveraging those funds to attract private investment, he said. “America’s infrastructure challenge is not primarily a capital problem. It is an institutional design problem,” he said. Steshenko’s latest research paper lays out a hybrid institutional capital model, or HICM, that could connect local, statewide or multistate municipalities seeking infrastructure funding, group their infrastructure projects into a financing package and work with institutional investors to fund those projects. “It’s a new way to unlock private capital for smaller community projects that are being ignored today,” he said. “Rather than asking how governments can find more money, I asked, how can we organize infrastructure projects so that large investors can participate in those projects?” Green bank intermediaries Stehenko said Maryland’s Montgomery County GreenBank is using a version of his HICM for a multi-municipality infrastructure financing project that may be completed by the end of next year. Steshenko said green banks — state, local or nonprofit financial institutions that use public or private funds to help
Jul 7, 2026 · via smartcitiesdive.com
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Jul 7, 2026 · via youtube.com
- | 11:00 am Oman, Türkiye sign MoU to boost housing and urban development cooperation The agreement includes cooperation in smart cities, sustainable urban planning, green buildings, infrastructure and real estate finance. Oman and Türkiye have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in housing, urban planning, and real estate investment, as the sultanate seeks to attract international expertise and investment to support its urban development agenda. The agreement was signed in Ankara by H.E. Dr. Khalfan bin Saeed Al Shuaili, Oman’s Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, and Murat Kurum, Türkiye’s Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. The signing ceremony was attended by an Omani delegation comprising representatives from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, Khazaen Economic City, the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and leading Omani real estate developers. During bilateral discussions, the ministers explored opportunities to expand cooperation in housing, urban planning, and investment, reaffirming their commitment to advancing sustainable urban development in both countries. Dr. Al Shuaili highlighted Oman’s National Urban Strategy, the Greater Muscat Master Plan, and investment opportunities associated with major projects, including Sultan Haitham City. He also emphasized the importance of institutional collaboration and stronger public-private partnerships. Kurum welcomed closer cooperation with Oman in urban planning and city development, while praising the sultanate’s urban transformation initiatives, particularly Sultan Haitham City. Under the agreement, the two countries will collaborate on sustainable urban planning, smart cities, green buildings, energy efficiency, spatial planning, coastal zone management, infrastructure development, real estate finance, and land registration. The MoU also covers research, training, and capacity building, as well as the adoption of technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, digital twins, and smart building systems. The partnership aims to strengthen private sector collaboration by encouraging developers and construction companies from both countries
Jul 7, 2026 · via fastcompanyme.com