Austin
In a letter to the department, the city called for an increased focus on shifting demand away from single-occupancy vehicles and boosting other forms of transportation.
KVUE
It's pandemic déjà vu in the Lone Star State, with local governments wanting to protect their constituents from an increase in viral transmission, a power preempted by Gov. Abbott's executive order. Attorney General Ken Paxton lost the first round.
Austin American-Statesman
The city is using the redistributed money to purchase hotels for permanent housing and provide supportive services.
Curbed
Project Connect promises to prioritize equity and inclusion with $300 million dedicated to anti-displacement efforts.
City Monitor
Even with the fiscal uncertainty of the pandemic, voters around the country overwhelmingly supported new funding for public transit projects.
TransitCenter
After releasing "public scoping" details for a massive widening project in Downtown Austin, a writing slams the Texas Department of Transportation for its car-centric approach to transportation planning.
Austin Towers
There's a narrative to be built from the results of state and local elections on issues of public transit funding: voters continue to support more funding for public transit projects and programs.
Streetsblog USA
A trio of freeway cap proposals around the country—in St. Paul, Atlanta, and Austin—embody the potential of infrastructure change to undo the mistakes of the past.
UrbanLand
Blog post
The budget for Austin’s massive transportation plan was cut by nearly a third in the wake of the pandemic, but a tax rate increase to help pay for it is still on the ballot for November.
Since late 2019, developers who deliver affordable housing units in Austin have received bonuses in height, density, parking, and other regulatory metrics, leading to a large number of new affordable housing units in the pipeline.
Austin Monitor
Heatwaves are the leading cause of deaths related to weather. A new study seeks to understand the impact of heatwaves and extreme heat exposure on humans and the cities in which they live.
Cities Today
A $7 billion transit investment plan for Austin would include $300 million toward preventing displacement of communities in neighborhoods located near planned transit investments.
KUT
As economies begin to reopen around the world, some cities are taking action to prevent widespread gridlock.
The New York Times
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.
The Texas Tribune
Blog post
Equity is hardly mentioned in most urban climate action plans, but a few cities, like Austin, Texas, are leading the charge to center in equity in both the process and content of climate planning.
Under a plan scheduled for implementation later this year, a transit pass will mean access to the city's bikeshare system.
Austin Monitor
Some cities are leasing entire hotels to provide rooms for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or been exposed to infected people, to allow for safe and supportive isolation away from family or household members who risk being infected.
Medium – Bloomberg Cities
Feature
Several cities have modeled an economic recovery that centers environmental justice. Political will is necessary to ensure a safer and healthier future for all communities.
Successful urban highway deconstruction projects have swapped highways for boulevards and saw economic, public health, and urban design benefits. Will more cities opt for highway removal programs over reconstruction?
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
Trends pre-dating Covid-19 showed housing affordability slipping away from many residents in Texas. The pandemic will likely only exacerbate the trend, according to this analysis.
Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research: The Urban Edge
