Texas
Two Energy States Take Opposite Approaches Toward Regulation
PBS NewsHour reports on a new study that shows a lack of air quality regulations on fracking in the Texas Eagle Ford Shale play. NPR looks at new rules developed by regulators in Colorado, the first in the nation to restrict methane emissions.
Dallas Needs $900 Million in Street Repairs (Or Lower Standards)
A recent report to Dallas’ Transportation and Trinity River Project Committee estimated the cost of bringing its streets to its minimum standards at $900 million.
Oklahoma and Texas Experience the Costliest Natural Disasters
The Insurance Information Institute released a report detailing the insurance payouts for natural disasters in 2013. Oklahoma and Texas topped the list, with $2 billion and $1.5 billion, respectively, in payouts.
Starfish Are Mysteriously Dying by the ‘Tens of Thousands’
Up and down the West Coast, Texas, and in some places on the East Coast, starfish are dying off and washing up on shore in distressing quantities. The so-called "sea star wasting syndrome" has also been called a “mass mortality event.”
What Makes A ‘Metropolitan Version of Nature’?
Metropolis Magazine examines the 21st century efforts at creating wild places in cities, exemplified by the Buffalo Bayou Promenade in Houston and the Passaic River in Newark.
TxDOT: I-345 Stays in Dallas
Advocates presented a compelling case to remove the aging stretch of Interstate 345 that bisects Dallas adjacent to downtown. But state transportation officials have decided to rehab, rather than remove, the freeway.
Ped-Friendly Proposal for Houston’s Downtown Convention Center
In anticipation of the 2017 Super Bowl, Houston First Corp. is seeking approval of a project to improve the city's convention center and “reshape the once-moribund East End of downtown into a dynamic new focal point of the city.”
Dallas Bans Protests Near Freeways
Supporters call a new Dallas ordinance banning protests near freeways a “pro-safety” measure rather than an “anti-protest” measure.
Oil Flowing Through the Keystone Pipeline
Oil is now flowing through the southern leg of the controversial Keystone pipeline. The southern pipeline is still the subject of a number of lawsuits, and the northern portion of the pipeline is pending approval from the State Department.
Predictions for Austin’s Real Estate Boom
With a whole portfolio of positive indicators about the health of the real estate market in Austin, a group of local industry leaders recently made predictions about what 2014 will bring for one of the country’s fastest growing metros.
Houston Celebrates Opening of METRORail North
Houston's METRORail will triple in size next year, going from 7 to 22 miles. METRO Chairman Gilbert Garcia enthusiastically describes the new 5.3-mile North Line extension and last week's celebration to open it. Two new lines will open next year.
Lifestyle Solution Sought for Austin's Snarled Traffic
Austin has a giant traffic tangle on its hands. And because the city largely ignored the growing problem for years, transportation planning experts believe only drastic changes in behavior and lifestyle will ease the snarl.
Energy Boom Warrants Rethinking 1970's Energy Policies
Harkening back to the long lines at gas stations that erupted after the 1973 Arab oil embargo, followed by diminishing oil production, US crude oil exports were prohibited. With production booming, energy czar Ernest Moniz may reconsider that policy.
Crude-By-Rail Slowed by a Red Signal
With many oil pipelines stalled due to popular opposition and/or regulatory hurdles (e.g. Keystone XL and Northern Gateway, or even refineries opting for more flexibility) there seemed to be no end to the growth in moving oil by rail...until now.
Texas to Require Fingerprinting of Architects
Already one of only two states to require criminal background checks of registered architects, the Texas legislature has gone one step further by requiring them to be fingerprinted. It's the first state in the country to embrace the practice.
Bus-Bike Partnership Helps Austin Move Beyond Cars
Leave it up to Austin to show Texas how to reduce its auto-oriented infrastructure. A project to replace on-street parking and traffic lanes with dedicated bus and bike lanes is the result of a partnership between bike and transit planners.
Dallas's Ambivalent Commemoration of a Decisive Day
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Mark Lamster examines Dallas's efforts to commemorate the tragedy. A new memorial is the latest example of the city's "ambivalent response to the events of November 1963."
Parking Meters Provide a Pipeline of Cash in America's Oil Capital
The energy capital of America sees money in them thar autos - in parking them, that is. Tapping motorists for parking bears some similarity to tapping shale basins for oil - without the fracking. Sightline's Alan Durning writes about the resemblance.
How is Technology Transforming the American City?
For a feature on Technology and the City, Architectural Record examines how the digital economy and tech culture are transforming Chattanooga, Detroit, Austin, and San Francisco. Many changes are welcome, but can urban success become too successful?
El Paso Officials Spread the Gospel of New Urbanism
Looking to move beyond its history of sprawling development, El Paso turned to New Urbanism. But instead of hiring New Urbanist experts, the city decided to indoctrinate its staff and private sector designers in the movement's principles.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
