Texas

Through the Eyes of a Journalist: Megan Kimble Reflects on Covering Food Systems, Zoning Changes, and Highway Projects in the Southwest
Kimble’s interest in topics related to urban planning spawned from research and writing about food systems in the borderlands of Arizona. She then moved to Austin in the midst of the city’s update of its Land Development Code.

Texas Attorney General Calls Project Connect Funding Scheme Illegal
The massive transit project’s unique funding scheme could run afoul of state law.

The Ugly Truth Behind “We Buy Ugly Houses”
HomeVestors of America, the self-proclaimed “largest homebuyer in the U.S.,” trains its nearly 1,150 franchisees to zero in on homeowners’ desperation.

Houston Debates Shared Driveway Requirement
A proposed rule would require developers to build shared driveways for narrow lot projects.

Austin as a Model for Parking Reform
The Texas capital’s new parking law signals a shift in thinking about the relationship between land use, transportation, and housing affordability.

Houston Tollway Could Get Transit Options
Officials will assess multiple options for increasing capacity on a key route between downtown Houston and southwestern communities.

Dallas City Council to Vote on Controversial Freeway Trenching Plan
A proposal to bury part of Interstate 345 in a 65-foot trench is the latest in a debate that has lasted more than ten years as the freeway reaches the end of its useful life.

Austin Eliminates Parking Requirements
After eliminating downtown parking requirements ten years ago, the city will now end minimum parking mandates citywide.

Friday Funny: How Much Parking Does That Parking Spot Need?
The Onion takes parking requirements to their logical conclusion.

Austin Employs Team to Help Residents Avoid Displacement
The city’s new Displacement Prevention Navigators will conduct outreach and assist with finding resources to help cost-burdened residents at risk of losing their housing stay in their homes.

Bill Legalizing ADUs Passes Texas Senate
If passed by the full state legislature, the bill would eliminate local restrictions on ‘mother-in-law’ units.

Dallas Plan Would Spend $400 Million to Support Affordable Housing
A proposed bond referendum would be the city’s largest-ever affordable housing investment.

Houston’s ‘Ike Dike’ Won’t Adequately Protect the City
The largest project ever undertaken by the Army Corps of Engineers may not be enough to protect Houston-area communities from flooding during the most severe hurricanes, according to the Corps’ own analysis.

Austin’s Project Connect Faces More Hurdles
Two proposed bills in the Texas state legislature call for more voter oversight of the mass transit project, which could imperil the transit expansion approved by voters in 2020.

New Zoning Category Proposed in Austin
The ‘town zoning’ category would create more flexibility and encourage developers to build more affordable, transit-oriented housing.

Texas State Bills Would Let Cities Lower Speed Limits
The proposed legislation would give cities the ability to reduce neighborhood speed limits without having to produce expensive traffic studies.

Austin Could Eliminate Parking Minimums for Bars
Proponents of the resolution say the city’s parking mandates encourage drunk driving and drive up construction costs for small businesses.

25.3-Mile BRT Route Approved for Houston’s University Corridor
The METRORapid University Corridor bus rapid transit route will become the backbone of the Houston Metro system.

Houston Metro Proposes Undergrounding BRT Line
To ease community concerns, the agency is proposing an underpass in lieu of a prior plan that would have elevated a new rapid transit line above a portion of its downtown route.

A Rapidly Urbanizing Texas County Gets in Touch With its Agricultural Roots
Developers in Fort Bend County are drawing inspiration from ‘agrihoods’ to build car-light communities in one of the nation’s fastest-growing areas.
Pagination
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