Waco Tribune-Herald

Growth rates in Waco, Texas, have planners concerned that the region won't be able to afford the necessary roads and services the new sprawl will require.

The Waco Chamber of Commerce is credited with inspiring a renaissance in downtown, developing their new headquarters on a former parking lot. They hope to receive LEED certification - the first U.S. chamber building to receive this designation.

In a creative deal to save a historic structure and also add to the city's desperately needed stock of workforce housing, the school district in Waco, Texas, agreed to sell the old Waco High building to a private developer.

The long-dormant downtown in this central Texas city is poised for revitalization designed to take advantage of nearby Baylor University and other assets. New Urbanist designs are generating hope and excitement.