Texas

Houston Creating 'Equity Indicators' Report
To better plan and track its progress toward equity, the city of Houston is creating a new system of equity indicators.

Houston Plans for More Bus Rapid Transit
The city's transit agency hopes a more comprehensive and connected rapid transit network will encourage more Houstonians to use buses.

Outdated Electric Grid Could Hamper Texas Transition to Renewables
Although Texas easily has the potential to phase out coal with the renewable energy projects in the works around the state, its aging transmission lines and outdated infrastructure could delay the transition.

'Micro-Apartments' Break Ground in East Austin
Averaging less than 400 square feet per unit, the Sixth and Chicon development is a new take on urban density.

Austin Considers Controversial Change to Affordable Housing Requirements
The city's commissioners are weighing the option of using neighborhood-level median income to set affordable housing restrictions, but the move could face lawsuits under the federal Fair Housing Act.

Pumping More Oil to Lower Gas Prices
Proponents of increased oil drilling in the U.S. to replace banned Russian oil argue that it will decrease prices at the pump. A Texas reporter examined the claim with a University of Texas energy analyst. If only it was that simple.

Dallas Neighborhoods Fight Toxic Zoning
Communities in south and west Dallas are working to introduce zoning reform that would reduce industrial pollution and hold companies accountable for their impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.

Houston's First Bus Rapid Transit Line Sees Low Ridership
Hindered by the pandemic and other factors, ridership numbers have been disappointingly low on the city's first BRT, but Metro officials are undeterred in their plans for future BRT lines.

Houston Interstate Widening Continues To Threaten Communities
The proposed freeway expansion in downtown Houston has faced searing backlash from local residents who see the project as a relic of the era of rampant freeway construction and neighborhood disruption.

Let the Endemic Planning Begin
The first state in the nation to issue a stay-at-home order to slow the spread of a novel coronavirus that humans had no immunity from became the first to release an actual endemic plan, complete with a fancy acronym, SMARTER.

Dallas Drafts Infrastructure Wish List
The city hopes to qualify for as much as $3 billion in federal infrastructure funding.

Report Criticizes El Paso Interstate Expansion Plan
An independent review of TxDOT's proposed expansion of I-10 through downtown El Paso highlights several flaws and a price tag close to $800 million.

Pressing Pause on Development in the Shadow of Austin's Growth
The Dripping Springs City Council points to inadequate wastewater infrastructure and the need to update its comprehensive plan as reasons for the city's development moratorium.

Condos Racking Up Equity Faster Than Single-Family Homes in Austin
Condo value in Austin rose 28% between December 2020 and December 2021, according to a recent report.

DARTzoom System Redesign Launched for Dallas and Surrounding Cities
The Dallas region is the latest to update its transit system on a high-frequency grid with on-demand transit service to fill in the gaps.

Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway: Governor Rejects San Antonio's Redevelopment Plan
After Texas relinquished control of state highways to cities in an effort to save money on maintenance costs, San Antonio planned an ambitious makeover of Broadway to accommodate pedestrian and bike improvements. The state won't approve it.

Freeway Intersection at the Heart of Intense Debate in Fort Bend County
The location of a proposed crossing in the fast-growing southwest Houston suburbs could have a significant impact on the area's development.

Rising Rental Costs in Texas Prompt Rent Control Discussion
Rent control is a political non-starter in the Lone Star State, but as rental prices continue to increase dramatically, advocates are looking for solutions.

The Pandemic Era
"We are living in the Covid-19 era, not the Covid-19 crisis," Allan Brandt, a historian of science and medicine at Harvard University, told Gina Kolata of the New York Times last October in a review of past pandemics and what we can learn from them.

San Antonio Officials Remove Invasive Snails During River Walk Draining
As part of the biannual cleaning of the city's prized River Walk, San Antonio officials removed hundreds of invasive snails from the channel.
Pagination
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HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
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