Large corporations are making huge investments in new office parks in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, reflecting a desire to attract young talent with Google- and Facebook-like workplaces.
"Big corporate office projects for the likes of Toyota, State Farm Insurance and Liberty Mutual Insurance have made North Texas one of the fastest-growing construction markets in the country," according to an article by Steve Brown.
In fact, reports Brown, "[m]ore than 8 million square feet of office buildings — the equivalent of a half dozen large downtown skyscrapers — are being built in the Dallas-Fort Worth area."
The new construction reflects a change in business culture and labor means: instead of using "off-the-shelf" office space in existing buildings, the companies are creating a long-term capital investment, according to local experts quoted in the article.
The race to attract and retain young talent, according to Brown, is racking up exorbitant sums. For instance Toyota is paying $350 million for a 100-acre office park in West Plano, and Liberty Mutual is paying $325 million for a complex located a few blocks away.
FULL STORY: Large corporations putting stamp on D-FW area with custom designs
City vs. State: Mayors Want Power to Require Mask Wearing to Slow Coronavirus Spread
Coronavirus cases are surging in the Lone Star State's urban areas, so mayors of nine of its largest cities asked Greg Abbott for the power to mandate the wearing of masks or facial coverings, prohibited by executive order, to slow viral spread.
Dallas Employment Stagnant as Suburbs Boom
Between 1990 and 2016, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area added more jobs than New York City. The overwhelming majority of the new jobs are located in the suburbs.
North Texas Transportation Council Advocates for Road Safety, Rail Projects
The North Texas Regional Transportation Council issued a series of recommendations for state legislators that include more support for road safety projects and high-speed rail.
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