APA-Texas Acknowledges the Great Places of the Lone Star State

There are a lot of great places to celebrate in Texas, and the state chapter of the American Planning Association is in the second year of a program that calls attention to the role of planners in making them happen.

1 minute read

April 3, 2018, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Brazos River

Hundley Photography / Shutterstock

The Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association has announced its 2018 Great Places designations, acknowledging places with "exceptional character" that also "highlight the role planners and planning play in creating communities of lasting value."

It's the second time APA-Texas has undertaken this Great Places program, and they hired Chet Garner, host and producer of the Daytripper, to help promote the program and the places that made the list.

The list of Great Places in Texas includes two neighborhoods, one street, and three public spaces:

  • Downtown Bryan - Great Neighborhood
  • Downtown San Marcos - Great Neighborhood
  • Fort Worth Magnolia Avenue - Great Street
  • McAllen Oval Park - Great Public Space
  • Tyler Municipal Rose Garden - Great Public Space
  • Waco Suspension Bridge - Great Public Space

A website announcing the program and the recent winners of the Great Places in Texas designation includes the growing list of past and present Great Places in Texas, along with the places in Texas that have been acknowledged by the national chapter of the American Planning Association.

Friday, March 30, 2018 in Great Places in Texas Announcement

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3, 2025 - Governing

White park shuttles with large Zion logo on side and red rock cliffs in background in Zion National Park.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”

Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

July 15 - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Chart of federal transportation funding comparing Biden and Trump administration spending.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden

Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

July 15 - Transportation for America

Close-up on yellow and black TAXI sign on top of beige car in central Munich, Germany.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence

Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.

July 15 - Bloomberg