Texas

Rendering of 100-home 3D-printed community

World's Largest 3D-Printed Community Planned In Austin

The process aims to reduce labor hours and material waste, dramatically cutting construction costs for new housing.

November 3, 2021 - The Architect's Newspaper

Austin

Can Better Transit Get Austinites Out of Cars?

The city's ambitious transit plan will bring light rail and bus connections to more areas of the city.

October 28, 2021 - Reuters

Interstate 35 in Austin, Texas

Austin Leaders Denounce 20-Lane Freeway Project

TxDOT is pushing ahead with plans for a massive freeway expansion project through downtown Austin despite opposition from virtually all local leaders.

October 27, 2021 - Slate

The exterior of the Civic Opera Building in Chicago, an art deco building built in the 1920s.

Signs of Financial Distress Among Office Properties

The foreclosure risk facing a pair of high-profile office buildings highlight the debt difficulties facing the office sector as it deals with the fallout of the pandemic. The trend could be on the verge of picking up steam.

October 26, 2021 - Cincinnati Business Courier

Houston, Construction

Houston's East River Redevelopment Threatens Historic Black Neighborhoods

Longtime residents are being left behind by new development that has raised housing costs and property taxes for some of Houston's most vulnerable communities, according to an article in the Houston Chronicle.

October 22, 2021 - The Houston Chronicle

The Colorado River is flooded with brown water with the skyline of Austin, Texas in the background.

New Stormwater Resilience Measures Approved in Austin

The Austin City Council adopted the latest in a series of measures intended to improve the city's stormwater resilience after experiencing repeated flooding events in the past decade.

October 20, 2021 - Austin Monitor

Houston, Texas

Houston Council Will Consider Stricter Apartment Inspection Process

The proposal would reform the inspection process to improve coordination between departments and institute a fine for landlords who don't make requested repairs.

October 19, 2021 - Houston Public Media

Houston Light Rail

Houston Needs More Public Transit Funding, Report Finds

While ridership dropped during the pandemic, many 'essential workers' continued to rely on Houston Metro's services, signaling the crucial role of public transit for the city's economy.

October 14, 2021 - The Houston Chronicle

Houston

Texas, the Bellwether State

With its rapid economic growth, dynamic cities, and increasingly diverse population, Texas could offer a model for the future of the United States.

October 13, 2021 - The New York Times

Barton Springs Greenway, Central Texas

Central Texas Town Approves New Trail Network

Kyle trail master plan will tie into a 100-mile Central Texas network connecting greenways in the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone.

October 12, 2021 - KXAN Austin News

San Antonio Christmas

Growth and Heritage Colliding in San Antonio

As demand for real estate grows, residents in the city's historic neighborhoods face rising costs and the threat of displacement.

October 12, 2021 - The New York Times

Houston Metro

Federal Dollars Could Pave the Way for Greener, More Equitable Infrastructure

Houston's director of Transportation and Drainage Operations wants to see more sustainable development in the city that has historically depended on freeways as its critical infrastructure.

October 11, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

Houston

Houston's Land Market Heats Up

The pandemic has spurred a sharp spike in land sales in the Houston area as more people look to buy homes and developers buy land for industrial uses.

October 7, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

Austin Bus

Coming Soon to Austin: More Electric Buses, Two New High-Frequency Lines

Austin's transit agency is accelerating its move toward an all-electric fleet with the addition of 200 new electric buses.

October 6, 2021 - KUT

Houston Light Rail Transit

Houston Area Loses $64 Million in Federal Transportation Funds Due to Delays and Lack of Oversight

The funding was directed to congestion mitigation, air quality, and transportation alternatives projects.

October 5, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

Houston Townhouse

Is Historic Preservation Zoning?

In a victory for preservationists, the Texas Supreme Court upheld Houston's Historic Preservation Ordinance despite a lawsuit alleging that the ordinance constitutes illegal zoning rules.

September 30, 2021 - SLoG Law Blog

Houston Third Ward

A Tour of Houston's Rapidly Gentrifying Neighborhoods

These Houston communities have experienced the most dramatic demographic changes in the last decade, according to new Census data.

September 27, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

Aerial view of Houston Ship Channel with container ships

Why Texas's $29 Billion Coastal Protection Plan Is Needed

The Houston Chronicle editorial board argues for the construction of the so-called 'Ike Dike,' but warns that more investment is needed to protect the South Texas coast from future storms.

September 24, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

COVID-19 Test

The Pandemic Crisis Is a Hospital Crisis

"Flatten the curve" was one of the first pandemic terms that Americans heard during the first surge. The idea was to reduce coronavirus transmission so as to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. But which curve? Case in point: Idaho.

September 23, 2021 - The New York Times

Pandemic Protest

Pandemic Debate: Civil Liberties vs. Individual Liberties

The American Civil Liberties Union stepped into the nation's masking debate in K-12 schools on the side of parents of students with disabilities. They won the first round in the U.S. Southern District Court of Iowa. Mask mandates are permitted again.

September 20, 2021 - Des Moines Register

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.