Texas

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.

Two Demographic Firsts, Both Losses, for California
The nation's most populous state learned from the Census Bureau last month that it would lose a congressional district for the first time in its history. On Friday, it revealed that 2020 was the first year since 1850 to experience a population loss.

Texas Lawmakers Want to Shut Down Grandfathered Red-Light Cameras
Despite a statewide ban approved by the Texas State Legislature in 2019, four Texas cities still have active contracts with photographic enforcement companies.

Austin Casts a Controversial Vote on Public Camping as the City Faces Growing Pains
Voters in Austin voted to reinstate a ban on public camping, taking steps to criminalize homelessness before the State Legislature could.

Watch: Debunking Myths About Houston's Lack of Zoning
A video published last week by City Beautiful reveals the myths and misconceptions of Houston's land use regulation system.

Texas Legislature Would Preempt Local Law to Ban Homeless Encampments
The state of Texas and the city of Austin are moving in opposite directions on how best to respond to the needs of people experiencing homelessness.

Deadly Texas Tesla Crash Might Have Had No Driver at the Wheel
Another fatal crash prompts questions about Elon Musk's autopilot claims.

Exxon Wants 'Financial Incentive' for $100 Billion Carbon Capture Hub
The company's proposed $100 billion carbon capture project would require a "large-scale" public-private partnership and could capture up to 100 million tons of carbon per year.

Houston Residents Want to Build Pocket Parks on City-Owned Lots
In a park-poor neighborhood, vacant lots provide an untapped opportunity for small-scale parks.

Pandemic to End in California on June 15, Governor Decides
Gov. Gavin Newsom has foreseen the end of the pandemic that has killed over 61,000 Californians and has taken a page from his Republican counterpart in the second most populous state by setting a date when all restrictions will be lifted.

Tiny Homes Village Plans Big Expansion in Austin
The Community First Village, which offers homes and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness, is adding 127 acres to a 27-acre site.

Urban Planning in a Time of COVID
In Dallas, Dr. Eric Anthony Johnson is not letting last year's crises go to waste.
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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.
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Planetizen
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Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service