Texas

Apartment Development Shifts North of Dallas
The Dallas apartment building 'boom' is occurring in places like Frisco, Allen, and McKinney.

When Coastal States Kill Building Codes, FEMA Pays
Despite the increasing number and intensity of natural disasters, some vulnerable states are relaxing building regulations and leaving the federal government to pick up the tab when tragedy strikes again.

Makeover Revealed for Galveston's Popular Stewart Beach
The Galveston Park Board of Trustees is looking to add some bells and whistles to an already popular destination.

APA-Texas Acknowledges the Great Places of the Lone Star State
There are a lot of great places to celebrate in Texas, and the state chapter of the American Planning Association is in the second year of a program that calls attention to the role of planners in making them happen.

Popularity of Express Lanes Spreads Beyond Virginia
Dan Vock of Governing takes a broad look at congestion pricing, beginning with the success of Virginia's 66 Express Lanes, the ones where tolls initially topped $40. Notwithstanding complaints, managed lanes are spreading, but challenges remain.

Dog Parks and Yoga Lawns: the New High Rise Residential Amenities
Construction is wrapping up on a new high-rise residential tower cleverly dubbed Catalyst, signifying a shift in urban living in the city of Houston.

Houston Controller Finds Fault with Key Economic Development Program
A new report finds that Houston might not be holding private partners accountable for promised infrastructure improvements.

Texas Designates 628 Opportunity Zones
The state of Texas gives an early indication of the potential scale of the new Opportunity Zones program—an emerging program that will be rolling out across the country in the coming days and weeks.

Houston's Latest Stormwater Project: 'Massive, Underground Tunnels'
The most recent post-Harvey proposal would mean the city could endure enormous rain events, but so far it's not clear who would pay for it.

The Sorry State of Environmental Enforcement in Texas
Industry is "routinely violating" clean water laws, but both state and federal regulators seem to be looking the other way.

Arlington to Build Nation's Largest eSports Arena
At 100,000 square feet, the Esports Stadium Arlington will become the largest eSports stadium in the country.

Arlington, Texas Replaces Public Transit with Ride-Share
Arlington is the first large city in the nation to ditch public transit for a private ride-sharing service. A pilot program operated by Via Transportation has operated successfully since launching service in December, charging riders $3.

City as Border Zone
Architects Ersela Kripa and Stephen Mueller, founders of El Paso firm AGENCY, discuss the reality and rhetoric of the US–Mexico border.

Austin Proposes Using Blockchain Technology to Help Its Homeless
The city wants to give its 7,000 citizens without permanent homes "[u]nique digital identifiers" to help them get reliable access to services.

California Has Been Shedding Residents—For Decades
The state Legislative Analyst's Office looks at California's out-migration data. Every year since 1990, more Californians left for other than states than arrive. Which states are sending their residents here, and where are Californians fleeing to?

After Harvey, Texas Tries State-Run Disaster Relief, With Mixed Results
The scale of the housing recovery effort means some jobs normally handles by FEMA have fallen to the Texas General Land Office.

Lessons on Resilience and Recovery from 2017's Worst Disasters
Dissecting successful disaster response in places like Houston and Mexico City could help California prepare for the inevitable.

Both Sides of the Parking Spectrum
Examples from California and Texas exemplify two extremes in thinking about parking.

Major Battle Over Highway Project Funding Looms in North Texas
To ensure funding for the LBJ East, Texas Transportation Commission officials might take three other major highway projects off the table.

Report Details the Long-Term Financial Benefits of Green Design
This report estimates that U.S. cities could save half a trillion dollars by investing in "smart surface technologies." The study takes into account obvious factors like energy use and less intuitive ones like tourism revenues.
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