The Interstate 45 widening project, halted by a federal order and opposed by many local officials and organizations, could hit a new snag if White Oak Bayou becomes a city park.

If an initiative to designate Houston’s White Oak Bayou as a city park succeeds, the effort could throw another wrench in the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) plan to expand Interstate 45 in downtown Houston.
According to an article by Jay R. Jordan on Axios, “White Oak Bayou is primarily used as a flood control measure but includes amenities like hike and bike trails, as well as large swaths of open land where people congregate and play sports.” At-large Councilmember Letitia Plummer has revived a petition asking the mayor to allow the city council to vote on designating the area as a park, which would prevent TxDOT from building a highway over it.
The North Houston Highway Improvement Project has faced a slew of local objections and lawsuits that most recently culminated in a federal order to stop work on the project as the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) investigates allegations of civil rights violations.
FULL STORY: How a park designation could derail the I-45 expansion

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

The French Solution to Congested Tunnels: Make Them Car-Free
Bay Area transportation officials keep expanding car capacity. Lyon’s Croix Rousse Tunnel offers a different way.

Missouri Governor Reverses Anti-Discrimination Housing Policies
A new state law bars cities from prohibiting source-of-income discrimination against tenants using Section 8 housing vouchers.

USDOT Launches Unfunded 'SAFE ROADS' Program
The program targets “distractions” and “political messages or artwork,” and paves the way for autonomous vehicles.
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.
City of Fort Worth
planning NEXT
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie