Texas

12 Developments That Will Change Houston Forever
Major upcoming projects include Hewlett Packard's new global headquarters, a 'boardwalk district' in Katy, and massive housing developments.

The Freeway Removal Cause Gains Momentum—But Don't Forget Gentrification and Displacement
The case for freeway in urban areas isn't as unequivocal as it might seem. Plans to undo the damage of the legacies of past freeway planning need to ensure an inclusive future.

The Link Between COVID-19 Deaths and Overcrowded Housing
Overcrowding and housing insecurity among Black and Brown communities led to disproportionately high COVID-19 fatalities, research shows.

Harris County Will Use Toll Road Revenue to Pay for Flood Control
A new Flood Resilience Trust will create a permanent source of funding for flood control purposes, but the county still faces a shortfall for planned projects.

Introducing Urbanist TikTok
It was only a matter of time, and we're probably well behind the times, but the social media platform du jour, TikTok, has a lot to offer the discerning urbanist.

Coronavirus Litigation: Students Sue University's Mandatory Vaccination Policy
Eight college students have filed a lawsuit on June 21 against Indiana University's requirement that students, staff and faculty be vaccinated against COVID-19. The state attorney general supports the students.

Contracts Signed, Funding Still TBD: Texas Central High-Speed Rail Moves Forward
Texas Central has its construction contracts and a court decision in its favor, but significant obstacles remain for the high-speed rail project connecting Houston and Dallas to get underway.

Dallas City Council Approves Urban Forest Master Plan
The plan seeks to mitigate the effects of urban heat islands by preserving and growing the city's tree canopy.

New Building Heights Coming to East Austin
The center of commercial gravity will be located a little to the east in Austin after two six-story office buildings are complete.

Coronavirus Legislation: Vaccine Choice or Anti-Vax?
If vaccines provide the means out of the pandemic, vaccine hesitancy and opposition threaten to prolong it. Battles over public health are being fought in courtrooms and statehouses like in Ohio, where a 'vaccine choice' bill is being considered.

Dallas' Margaret McDermott Bridge Finally Open to Pedestrians and Cyclists
Overdue and over budget, infrastructure for pedestrian and people on bikes is finally available on the Margaret McDermott Bridge in Dallas.

Coronavirus Litigation: Can Employers Require Employee Vaccinations?
The plaintiffs in one of the nation's first court cases over employer-required COVID vaccinations are among the heroes of the pandemic—nurses fighting to remain unvaccinated. Houston Methodist Hospital suspended unvaccinated employees on June 6.

TxDOT Promises to Reverse Some of the Damage Caused by Urban Freeways in Dallas
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is in the early stages of planning for two projects that could leverage plans to rebuild two freeways in the city with plan to reconnect the neighborhoods they severed.

Texas Metros Lead Residential Building Permit Activity in 2020; Atlanta, Phoenix Also in the Top 5
A new report quantifies the number of housing units in the development pipelines in metropolitan areas around the United States.

2020 Population Growth Rates for the 50 Biggest U.S. Cities
The Census Bureau released new data on May 27 that includes the first four months of the pandemic. Seattle tops the growth rate at 2.2% from July 1, 2019, to July 1, 2020, while Baltimore and San Francisco land at the bottom with -1.4%.

New Park Opens as Part of Houston's Ambitious Bayou Greenways 2020 Plan
Bayou Greenways Park is part of a decade-long project building 172 miles of connected greenways around the city of Houston.

Renewed Efforts to Redevelop Houston's Historic Astrodome
A nonprofit hopes to create a viable plan for the iconic stadium—and find a way to pay for it.

I-10 Widening Project Continues in Texas
The current work will expand the freeway to three lanes in each direction and shift a notorious bottleneck farther west.

Opinion: Freeze Property Taxes in Gentrifying Neighborhoods
A proposed bill in the Texas legislature would help prevent displacement of homeowners in areas experiencing reinvestment and redevelopment.

How Planners Can Help the Dallas Food Scene Flourish
Dallas is amidst a process for electing a new City Council, and one local writer sees the transition as an opportunity to present an ambitious agenda for also overhauling the city's local dining scene.
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