Houston

Blue and red light rail train in downtown Houston, Texas.

Houston Metro Plan Centers Safety, Accessibility

A new plan from the city’s transit agency focuses on improving the rider experience and boosting safety, but remains uncommitted to previous plans to build new BRT lines.

February 26, 2025 - Houston Public Media

Paved walking path next to canal in The Woodlands, Texas with office buildings in background.

Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50

A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.

February 19, 2025 - Greg Flisram

Community engagement event held outdoors to evaluate opinions on the renovation of MacGregor Park in Houston, Texas.

Public and Private Collaboration Advances Park Development in Houston

Houston may be known to some as a concrete jungle, but its greenspaces continue to expand thanks to combined support from the public, private, and philanthropic sectors.

February 13, 2025 - Beth White

Crane and construction on multi-story buildings in downtown Houston, Texas.

How Houston Can Be a Model for Housing Reform

The city builds more new housing than almost any other and has dramatically reduced homelessness, yet low-income families struggle to find affordable housing.

February 12, 2025 - Urban Edge

Row of white charter buses with red Gogo Charters logo.

New Intercity Bus Service Will Connect Texas Cities

A San Antonio-based charter bus company will begin offering daily trips to Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio later this year.

February 2, 2025 - Houston Public Media

Close-up of front of blue locomotive with Amtrak logo.

Texas Central Railway Could Have “Massive Positive Impact”

Amtrak took the lead on the proposed high-speed rail project, which would connect Houston and Dallas in less than 90 minutes.

November 19, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

An aerial view of a typical suburban neighborhood in Texas.

A Look Inside the Houston Land Bank

The nonprofit has built over 300 homes in the last five years.

November 18, 2024 - Next City

View of downtown Houston with elevated freeways in foreground.

Interactive Map Highlights Freeway-Related Displacement in Houston

A new map illustrates the neighborhoods and buildings that were razed to make way for freeways and estimates the number of people displaced by roadways.

November 7, 2024 - Baker Institute for Public Policy

View of downtown Houston with elevated freeways in foreground at dusk.

Reimagining the Space Beneath Houston’s Freeways

Opportunities abound for Houston to capitalize on otherwise unused space beneath its wide network of freeways.

October 7, 2024 - Houston Chronicle

Docked BCycle bike share station in Houston with red bikes

Houston Metro Abandons Bike Share in Favor of On-Demand Microtransit

The agency failed to include funding for bike share in its 2025 budget proposal.

September 24, 2024 - Houston Landing

Traffic on Interstate 45 with signs leading to Dallas and Galveston.

Texas High-Speed Rail Plan Calls for Eminent Domain

The proposed rail line would link Dallas and Houston via a 90-minute trip.

September 17, 2024 - Newsweek

Houston Metro Bus

Houston Transit Agencies Offer ‘Free Fare Fridays’ for Ozone Action Month

Harris County is one of several Texas counties that failed EPA standards for clean air in recent years.

September 10, 2024 - Houston Public Media

Aerial view of massive freeway interchange with downtown Houston skyline in background.

Houston Bus Lanes Downgraded to HOV Lanes

Metro officials say the new plan for the Iner Katy Project addresses more immediate needs by replacing dedicated bus lanes with HOV lanes.

September 5, 2024 - Houston Chronicle

Texas Central

Texas High-Speed Rail Awarded $63.9M Federal Grant

In August, Amtrak received a $63.9 million grant from the FRA to continue its work to identify a high-speed rail corridor between Dallas and Houston.

September 3, 2024 - Texas Rail Advocates

Shinkansen high-speed rail train traveling across bridge with green trees on either side.

Will Texas High-Speed Rail Become a Reality?

A proposed Houston-to-Dallas rail line shows promise, but faces major hurdles before it can come to fruition.

July 25, 2024 - Houston Public Media

Close-up on rear of Houston Metro bus with license plate and bus number.

Houston Council Member Questions Microtransit Investment

METRO’s support of an on-demand microtransit service comes as the agency is scaling back its bigger bus projects.

July 24, 2024 - Houston Public Media

Flooded freeway underpass with red and white WRONG WAY sign in Houston, Texas during Hurricane Beryl in July 2024.

Houston Could Face Stronger Storms. Is the City Prepared?

Experts say Hurricane Beryl, which landed as a category 1, revealed that the city’s infrastructure may not successfully withstand stronger storms.

July 15, 2024 - Inside Climate News

Aerial view of freeways and downtown Houston skyline

Houston Residents Respond to Mobility Questions

What could the city look like if budget and bureaucracy were no object?

July 9, 2024 - Houston Public Media

Houston Metro bus moving rapidly across blurred background.

Houston Could Cancel Rapid Transit Project

Metro officials say prioritizing the University Corridor project would force them to delay or cancel other service expansion initiatives.

June 25, 2024 - Houston Chronicle

Close-up of red Houston BCycle bike share bikes parked at a station

Houston Will Be Largest US City Without Bike Share

The city’s bike share system will cease operations at the end of June.

June 19, 2024 - Houston Public Media

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.

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.