Architecture critic Mark Lamster describes Dallas as a city at a defining moment in its history. He poses the following questions: “What are our goals, and how do we achieve them? What exactly do we want Dallas to be?”
“Mayor Mike Rawlings leads a city at a time of immense private prosperity offset by sweeping poverty, a city of newly erected architectural marvels set amid a crumbling public infrastructure too extensive for it to cost-effectively maintain. No city has a greater untapped natural resource than the Trinity River corridor, yet we threaten to pave much of it over in the name of convenience. Downtown languishes and rebounds, seemingly at once. Our patterns of consumption — of land, of water, of energy — are pushing beyond our capacities to sustain them. As a public, we are physically and figuratively divided,” writes Dallas Morning News Architecture Critic Mark Lamster.
The exploration of Dallas’ situation includes the launching of a future-minded effort by the Dallas Morning News, which calls for user ideas and photos at the Future Dallas website, as well as participation in the discussion at #FutureDallas on Instagram, Twitter, and Vine.
FULL STORY: Dallas is a canvas for change
Highway Decisions Make Dallas a 'Paradox City'
Dallas Morning News Architecture Critic Mark Lamster pulls no punches in writing of Dallas as the "Paradox City," even describing Michael Morris, the director of transportation for the North Texas Council of Governments, as a new Robert Moses.
In Support of the Trinity Toll Road in Dallas
The Trinity Toll Road project in Dallas is one of the most controversial ongoing infrastructure and highway projects in the country. A Dallas Morning News columnist suggests the project's opponents should act like adults.
Flood Concerns Raised Over Trinity Toll Road Proposal in Dallas
Details are emerging about the proposed Trinity Toll Road in Dallas. The route’s proximity to the Trinity River has provided more fuel for the project’s opponents.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.
Paris Bike Boom Leads to Steep Drop in Air Pollution
The French city’s air quality has improved dramatically in the past 20 years, coinciding with a growth in cycling.
Why Housing Costs More to Build in California Than in Texas
Hard costs like labor and materials combined with ‘soft’ costs such as permitting make building in the San Francisco Bay Area almost three times as costly as in Texas cities.
San Diego County Sees a Rise in Urban Coyotes
San Diego County experiences a rise in urban coyotes, as sightings become prevalent throughout its urban neighbourhoods and surrounding areas.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Santa Clarita
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service