Austin

Rendering of subterranean subway station

A Look at Austin’s Proposed Subway Stations

The Texas capital is planning an ambitious light rail system that will include subterranean stations.

July 8, 2022 - KUT

Lake TRavis is shown well below capacity, with the city of Austin in the background.

Declining Water Levels Trigger ‘Stage 1’ Drought Response in Austin

The effects of the megadrought in the American Southwest are reaching into Texas.

June 8, 2022 - KUT

A row of homes, some brightly colored, on a sunny day in Austin, Texas.

Austin Considering Zoning Tools to Support Affordable Housing Development

An expansion of the city’s vertical mixed-use (VMU) affordable development program is the furthest along of a package of reforms intended to spur the construction of affordable housing.

June 2, 2022 - Community Impact Newspaper

Austin Bus

Austin’s Transit CEO Moving to D.C.

After overseeing a major system redesign and plans for its largest-ever expansion, the head of Capital Metro will take over Washington, D.C.’s transit agency.

May 17, 2022 - KUT

I-45 and I-69

A Freeway Rebellion Rises in the Unlikeliest of States: Texas

“There’s no train, there’s no bus, there’s no anything that supports mass transportation. It doesn’t exist.” -Houston resident Fabian Ramirez.

May 2, 2022 - The Guardian

Austin, TA sign reading "Whole Foods Coming Soon" adorns a blue wall across the street from warehouses.

Austin Now Taking Applications for its ‘Right to Return’ to Gentrifying Neighborhoods

The Texas state capital’s “right to return” law was delayed by the pandemic, but Austin is now taking applications for longtime low-income residents to find housing in gentrifying neighborhoods.

April 14, 2022 - KUT

Downtown Austin with Lady Bird Lake in the foreground. Multiple bridges are crossing the lake and small personal water-crafts dot the water.

'Micro-Apartments' Break Ground in East Austin

Averaging less than 400 square feet per unit, the Sixth and Chicon development is a new take on urban density.

March 20, 2022 - Austin Towers

Austin Construction

Austin Considers Controversial Change to Affordable Housing Requirements

The city's commissioners are weighing the option of using neighborhood-level median income to set affordable housing restrictions, but the move could face lawsuits under the federal Fair Housing Act.

March 16, 2022 - Austin Monitor

The top floors of a luxury condo building is seen at sunset in Downtown Austin.

Condos Racking Up Equity Faster Than Single-Family Homes in Austin

Condo value in Austin rose 28% between December 2020 and December 2021, according to a recent report.

February 9, 2022 - Axios Austin

Texas

Austin Mayor Proposes New Bond To Address Housing Crisis

Mayor Steve Adler is developing a proposal to sell up to $500 million in bonds for affordable housing as the city's housing costs continue to soar and demand for housing remains at a historic high.

January 24, 2022 - Bloomberg Markets

Multiple bridges busy with cars cross Lady Bird Lake outside downtown Austin, Texas.

Vision Zero Projects Reduce Carnage in Select Corners of Austin

Vision Zero safety improvements at High Injury Roadways and implementation and Leading Pedestrian Intervals are reducing crashes in Austin. The city has a long way to go to achieve Vision Zero.

December 29, 2021 - Fox 7 Austin

A woman with a baby in a stroller and two men are milling around in front a sign that reads Austin Texas: Live Music Capital of the World.

Austin Musicians Squeezed By Housing Crisis

The Texas capital's iconic music scene could suffer as higher housing costs push musicians out of the city.

December 14, 2021 - KUT

Downtown Austin with Lady Bird Lake in the foreground. Multiple bridges are crossing the lake and small personal water-crafts dot the water.

Light Rail and Buses and More, Oh My!

A light rail bridge proposed for Lady Bird Lake, still pre-design, is causing controversies about whether adding buses to the bridge would be too dangerous for the other non-automotive modes.

December 13, 2021 - KUT

Construction on a high-rise, with cement trucks and tall cranes, is visible on an Austin Street.

Austin's Tallest Tower Rising Quickly

Sixth and Guadalupe, which will top out at 875 feet, will soon be crowned the tallest building in Austin, and the fifth-tallest building in Texas.

December 7, 2021 - Urbanize Austin

Bentonville, AR Central Avenue at night

Opinion: Northwest Arkansas Could Be the 'Next Austin'

The home of Walmart and the University of Arkansas could be poised to see growth as cities like Austin and Boise become less affordable.

December 5, 2021 - Bloomberg Opinion

Austin Traffic

Austin Becoming Least Affordable City Outside California

The Texas capital, once one of the most affordable metro areas, is experiencing a housing affordability crisis as median prices soar and longtime residents face displacement.

December 1, 2021 - The New York Times

Billboard Flag

Supreme Court Case Could Transform Sign Regulations

If the Supreme Court upholds a lower court decision, cities could lose a long-standing right to regulate 'off-premises' billboards.

November 9, 2021 - American Planning Association

Rendering of 100-home 3D-printed community

World's Largest 3D-Printed Community Planned In Austin

The process aims to reduce labor hours and material waste, dramatically cutting construction costs for new housing.

November 3, 2021 - The Architect's Newspaper

Austin

Can Better Transit Get Austinites Out of Cars?

The city's ambitious transit plan will bring light rail and bus connections to more areas of the city.

October 28, 2021 - Reuters

Interstate 35 in Austin, Texas

Austin Leaders Denounce 20-Lane Freeway Project

TxDOT is pushing ahead with plans for a massive freeway expansion project through downtown Austin despite opposition from virtually all local leaders.

October 27, 2021 - Slate

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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.