The city has indicated this is the last time it will extend a permit for a drive-thru at a McDonald’s restaurant as it transitions to supporting a denser, more walkable downtown environment.
The drive-thru window at a downtown Dallas McDonald’s fast food restaurant will stay open an additional two years after the City Plan Commission approved a temporary renewal of the company’s permit. “This decision highlights the broader debate between urban development goals and the practical needs of businesses in a changing downtown environment.”
According to The Dallas Express, critics say the drive-thru is not in line with the city’s goal to make downtown more walkable and dense. The article notes that the restaurant is a popular, affordable option for workers in the area, but city officials say it could continue operating successfully without the drive-thru. “The franchisee is encouraged to adapt and find ways to keep the business viable without the drive-thru, in line with downtown Dallas’ future vision of a more walkable, dense urban area.”
FULL STORY: McDonald’s Drive-Thru In Downtown Dallas May Stay Open For Two More Years Amid City Vision Debate
Dallas Cut Traffic Deaths Nearly in Half in 2025
The city saw 107 fatal crashes this year, down from 208 in 2024.
Report: Top US Cities for Pedestrian Safety
The East Coast takes the top three spots, while the South and Southwest dominate the bottom of the list.
North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association