Texas
Houston Approves Transit System Reimagining Plan
Jarrett Walker shares the news that the city of Houston gave final approval to overhaul its public transit system, including the implementation of a frequent network grid. The changes are expected to be complete by August 2015.
Unaffordable, Growing Cities Lag on New Housing Permits
Stephen Smith follows up on an earlier report of New York City housing permits with a report on the entire metropolitan area. Included for comparison are the numbers of housing permit filings for metropolitan areas around the country.

Fast Train To Big D
Many citizens in independent-minded Texas may not like the idea of spending $10 billion on high speed rail. Backers in Dallas, though, have begun to dream up big plans for a station area to serve Texas Central Railway.
Dallas' New Suburban Developments Have an Urban Feel
Looking for evidence of the resurgence of suburban developments? Look no farther than the suburbs of Dallas and Fort Worth, says a recent column in the Dallas Morning News.
Political Power Coalesces around I-345 Teardown Proposal in Dallas
The politics of urban highways will play out in Dallas in the coming years. A new political action committee, the Coalition for a New Dallas, will push for I-345 between downtown and Deep Ellum to be torn down.
Renters Predominate in Low-Cost and High-Cost Cities
A report by New York University’s Furman Center found that renters made up the majority of households in nine of the 11 largest cities in the U.S. in 2013, up from five in 2006. The demand is straining the supply of rental housing.
Proposed Dallas High Speed Rail Station Hopes to Attract Game-Changing TOD
The Dallas Business Journal provides in depth coverage on the current planning efforts behind two proposed high-speed rail station locations in Dallas.
New Research Maps Transit Poverty
New research provides sorely needed tools for illustrating the neighborhoods that suffer a lack of transportation options to access jobs and opportunity.
Parks—or Playgrounds for Billionaires?
New York may be the most famous example of the parks becoming the most conspicuous signifiers of neighborhoods for the haves, versus the have-nots, but Inga Saffron hopes that cities everywhere can find ways to even the playing fields.
Will Plummeting Gas Prices Threaten Recent Transit Ridership Gains?
As gas prices have fallen, driving has increased. October driving mileage figures show an increase of 3 percent from a year earlier. A shift away from public transit may cause transit providers to rethink expansion plans.
When Will Dallas Update its Tree Ordinance?
A guest column in the Dallas Morning News takes the Dallas political machine to task for delaying a new tree ordinance.
Disparate Impact: A Texan's Perspective
It’s important to remember, as the Texas disparate impact case reaches the Supreme Court of the United States later this month, the actual people who bear the brunt of Texas' history of housing discrimination.
TxDOT's 'Southern Gateway' Toll Lane Proposal Encounters Local Opposition
The Texas Department of Transportation would implement tolls on two freeways as part of its "Southern Gateway Managed Lane Project." According to a recent article, the idea has not produced a positive response from locals.
The Evolution of Austin—Found on Sixth Street
A Dallas Morning News column illustrates the evolution of Austin by exploring the changes in the neighborhoods along the city's famous Sixth Street corridor.
In Support of the Trinity Toll Road in Dallas
The Trinity Toll Road project in Dallas is one of the most controversial ongoing infrastructure and highway projects in the country. A Dallas Morning News columnist suggests the project's opponents should act like adults.

Milken Institute Ranks 2014's 'Best Performing Cities'
The Milken's Institute report ranked San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City at the top of the performance index for the first time in the list's 15-year history.
North Texas Plagued by Earthquakes—the New Normal?
The earth has been moving all week in North Texas. An editorial by The Dallas Morning News calls on the state's new governor to show leadership, even at risk of upsetting the oil industry, to find out more about the causes of the seismic activity.
Gov-Elect Abbott Says Local Regulations 'California-ize' Texas
Texas Gov.-elect Greg Abbott takes aim at local regulations, exemplified by tree-cutting bans in cities like Houston and San Antonio.
Dallas Task Force to Find Preservation Solutions
After a high-profile demolition claimed a 129-year-old building in Dallas, preservationists are getting a seat at the table in the form of a newly formed task force.
California's High Housing Costs Drives Out-Migration
Same story, different year, though more data provided on which groups are leaving the Golden State: predominantly workers earning less than $50,000 a year. Conversely, those migrating to California from other states had higher incomes and education.
Pagination
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service