Texas

A high rate of poverty, a large population of illegal aliens, and a next-door neighbor to one of the most dangerous cities in the hemisphere, El Paso would seem to be a hotbed of danger. But it's actually one of the safest big cities in America.

Colorado, Arizona and Texas have come together to apply for a $5m grant to research a possible high-speed rail link connecting Denver, Albuquerque, and El Paso.

The ACLU and local clergy are fighting over the prayers recited at City Council meetings in San Marcos, Texas, near Austin.

A 14-mile road segment that would connect two highways in Texas is a contender for stimulus funding in the state. But it would also cause the removal of at least 23 acres of wetlands. Environmentalists are upset the proposal is being considered.

Officials in New Mexico, Colorado and Texas are pooling efforts to try to secure federal funding for a high speed rail link between their urban areas.

In Austin, TX, a planned transit-oriented development went bust. The new developer is taking the density down from 1,200 homes to "plus or minus 700."

As Houston considers extending its urban boundaries, planners and locals struggle with the proper techniques for ensuring good development without zoning.

Texas Governor Rick Perry recently vetoed a bill that would have created a state level "smart growth" program.

Ft. Worth transportation planner Don Koski talks about the challenges and rewards of being a transportation planner in Ft. Worth, Texas.

An audit of the past census found that 373,567 Texans were not counted, for an estimated loss of $2,913 per person-or $1 billion in federal funds from 2002 to 2012.

City officials in Houston are set to consider plans to incentivize broad pedestrian walkways near existing and planned light rail stations within the city.

The Planning and Zoning Commission of Lubbock, Texas is in the process of revamping old zoning to meet a new voter-approved iniative to allow off-premise alcohol sales.

Alamo Heights, a suburb of San Antonio, grapples with whether to adopt a "New Urbanist" (but slightly more traditional) approach to its major thoroughfare to improve pedestrian and bicycle access.

It would take at least an additional 10-cent tax on gasoline to fund transit and transportation projects in metropolitan Dallas-Fort Worth, according to city officials who want to ask voters to allow the increases.

A streetcar system and commuter rail line are now officially part of a regional plan for the Fort Worth area.

Officials in San Antonio say they've closed a legal loophole that allowed developers to clear trees for ranching or farming.

Officials in Fort Worth, Texas, are searching for ways to deal with buildings left vacant by businesses struggling during the recession. Other cities and the state of Texas are also addressing the issue.

A new parking garage opening in Ft. Worth is actually a full-scale public art project by artist/architect Christopher Janney. Janney's design includes a soundscape of Ft. Worth music and native animal sounds.