PCiRoads uses custom equipment for Minneapolis stormwater project
Minneapolis features a busy and lively downtown area that’s home to nearly 57,000 residents along with 216,000 employees each week, per mplsdowntown.com. The city has consistently topped more than $1 billion in new construction permits over the past 11 years … More from our cover sponsor →
Chattanooga, Tennessee, addresses hard-to-recycle items
Chattanooga, Tenn., is adding a fourth R to the eco trio of reduce, reuse and recycle with recovery. That recovery R has been sparked by the Hefty ReNew program that started in October 2022 and is now in its second … Continue reading →
Frederick hopes to expand residential compost program
The city of Frederick, Md., is not one to “waste” an opportunity. When its citizens pushed for a residential compost program to help reduce municipal waste and encourage environmental stewardship, community leaders worked to create a program that, to date, … Continue reading →
Top 10 hidden gem dog parks
The dog parks that exist across America offer a variety of landscapes, from beaches and rivers to wooded areas and open meadows. These designated areas cater to different preferences for dog owners and their pets. In March, the website Technobark … Continue reading →
New waste management facility benefits small towns
Waste management is as simple as dropping a garbage bag in the can and rolling it out to the curb for its respective pickup day, right? For most people, that is where waste management ends, but for others like Mike … Continue reading →
Recycling centers: Bane or boon?
Municipal recycling centers, in theory, are a good thing — they make recycling convenient for residents and keep things out of the landfill that can be repurposed; however, several cities have had to remove their recycling centers because of problems, … Continue reading →
Recycling is not a waste of energy — it’s a power source
Wood waste is a worldwide problem. It accounts for up to 30% of all waste. The U.S. collects 70 million-plus tons of urban woody debris each year but recycles just 48%. The “leftovers” go to the landfill, wasting landfill space … Continue reading →
New Bedford parks boast impressive programming and recreational space
With over 800 acres of park space in New Bedford, Mass., the parks, recreation and beaches department plans an extraordinary amount of programming and improvements each year. The park space is widely spread throughout the city, so 90% of the … Continue reading →
Eyes, ears and light cut crime in Columbus, Ohio, parks
After what they called a “violent” spring in 2022, city officials in Columbus, Ohio, took steps toward ensuring a safe, more peaceful summer. First, they beefed up the number of officers patrolling the parks. They followed that with a $500,000 … Continue reading →
Police Proximity Project connects officers to the community
Among the hardest jobs in the world is law enforcement. It is dangerous work, and those who do it are sometimes viewed with suspicion by the public. The hours are challenging, and, as of late, police departments are too often … Continue reading →
New real-time systems manage drainage and flooding in Edinburg
Edinburg, Texas, has a little over 50 ditches throughout the city with all subdivisions connecting into the ditches for drainage and a link to the county ditches. The drainage water from four nearby cities also runs through the city ditches, … Continue reading →
California fire service innovator ‘just fell in love’ with career
Marin County’s fire chief of more than a decade received a top state honor in October 2023, earning the Fire Chief of the Year distinction from the California Fire Chiefs Association. But if you ask him about it, he’ll say, … Continue reading →
Reflections on the total eclipse in Russellville, Ark.
We all heard so much about the total eclipse this year, and for good reason. While not the only eclipse we would see in 2024, it was a major event, with totality (defined as being ‘the whole of something’) predicted … Continue reading →
Business flourishes in small-town Utah
According to a recent WalletHub article, “Best & Worst Small Cities to Start a Business (2024),” Cedar City, Utah, is the best city in the United States to start a business. Analysts studied various cities and compared 18 different key … Continue reading →
Communities commemorate National Public Works Week 2024
Since 1960, National Public Works Week has celebrated the people who plan, build, manage and operate the necessary services that enhance our everyday lives. From May 19-25, municipal leaders across the U.S. and Canada highlighted their public works department with … Continue reading →
The Municipal Top 10: Best beach towns for retirement
Does a desire to feel the sun, sand and water ever go away in those who love the beach lifestyle? It doesn’t seem so. Cities that offer options for coastal retirement continue to draw new, mature residents year after year. … Continue reading →
Newport News simulator helping with new hires and maintaining equipment
The city of Newport News, Va., like many others, experienced trouble hiring new employees post-COVID. So, because of staff shortages, department heads and city officials realized something needed to change. The idea of using a simulator to aid with training … Continue reading →
Jewel Parks lead off Gary, Indiana’s, reinvention
LaVetta Sparks-Wade is not just excited about her new job, but about the place where she gets to do it. Sparks-Wade is the newly minted director of parks for the city of Gary, Ind., her “home sweet home,” to quote … Continue reading →
Shrewsbury, Mass., concludes Toblin Hill Bridge project
The Toblin Hill Bridge in Shrewsbury, Mass., has been reconstructed and reopened after the original had to be demolished following the discovery of a sinkhole. Originally built as part of the Toblin Hill Estates subdivision in 1998, a private developer … Continue reading →
