Texas
![Low aerial view of two-story suburban Houston homes](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_2226479451.jpg.webp?itok=Mbl7xYvd)
Houston Becoming a Region of Renters
The area has seen a sharp increase in renters as rising housing costs put homeownership out of reach for more households and investors convert single-family homes to multifamily rentals.
![A man operates a yellow roller to smooth out fresh pavement on a road.](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/Road-Construction.jpg.webp?itok=egXZePF-)
Construction Set to Begin on $1.6 Billion Highway Widening in Texas
Construction is expected to begin on the Southeast Connector highway widening project near Fort Worth in the spring and wrap up in 2027.
![Highway sign with "Stop the strak of TX traffic fatalities" against blue sky](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_2163343695.jpg.webp?itok=Ag9Bg-Qo)
Texas Road Safety Messaging Blames Pedestrians, Ignores Structural Flaws
Critics of the state’s ‘Be Safe. Drive Smart.’ campaign say the messaging puts the onus on pedestrians and cyclists while failing to address the lack of robust pedestrian and bike infrastructure in many of its cities.
![Houston, Construction](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/14812620875_d15b3c38c1_k.jpg.webp?itok=NkUQFeLZ)
How To End Homelessness: The Houston Model
While the numbers of unhoused people in other major U.S. cities grow, Houston has managed to effectively end veteran homelessness and house more than 26,000 people since implementing a ‘Housing First’ approach a decade ago.
![View of Houston buildings over White Oak Bayou](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1533967676.jpg.webp?itok=d2k029sl)
Proposed Park Yet Another Hurdle for Houston Interstate Expansion
The Interstate 45 widening project, halted by a federal order and opposed by many local officials and organizations, could hit a new snag if White Oak Bayou becomes a city park.
![Texas Capitol Building](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_524837476.jpg.webp?itok=Zyg3_CGH)
Texas Legislator Proposes ‘District of Austin’
A conservative lawmaker wants to dissolve the state’s capital city, saying officials there have ‘failed the city’ with too-liberal policies.
![Musician playing guitar in front of outdoor seating and sidewalk vendors in Houston, Texas](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/Houston.png.webp?itok=LO_lb5cw)
Houston Development Aims to Create Hyper-Walkable, Micro-Living Neighborhood
The 17-acre Second Ward project has spurred both optimism for a more walkable city and concerns about displacement and gentrification.
![Aerial view of Interstate 35 bridge over river into downtown Austin, Texas with skyline in background](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_2102966887.jpg.webp?itok=oBsZ_pev)
Highway Expansion Moves Forward in Austin Despite Local Opposition
The Texas Department of Transportation plans to build an elevated freeway segment as part of its plan to widen Interstate 35 through central Texas.
![Multiple bridges busy with cars cross Lady Bird Lake outside downtown Austin, Texas.](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/Austin-Texas-Lady-Bird-Lake.jpg.webp?itok=Xm4i7g_b)
Skyscraper Proposed for Austin Would Be Tallest in Texas
The skylines are starting to catch up to the hype about everything being bigger in Texas.
![Fort Worth Stockyards sign at night](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_204315394.jpg.webp?itok=-XzsQfL8)
Business Group Fights Apartments in Fort Worth Stockyards
The city’s zoning commission voted to require city council approval for new apartments east of Packers Street and Niles City Boulevard after a local business group coplained about added traffic.
![View of Austin, Texas skyline at dusk with Colorado River and bridge in foreground](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_451729549.jpg.webp?itok=vePWf0DE)
New Green Development Rules Take Effect in Austin
The city updated its development code to include more robust protection for local wetlands and stricter sustainable stormwater infrastructure requirements.
![Downtown Dallas](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/City-Dallas-Cities-Texas-Cityscape-Skyline-Urban-1740681.jpg.webp?itok=dHV3Pg1H)
Dallas Housing Nonprofit Warns of Dwindling Resources
A nonprofit that works to house people experiencing homelessness is calling on more landlords to participate in programs that match housing voucher recipients with available units.
![Historic single-family homes in San Antonio, Texas.](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1577819863.jpg.webp?itok=bPyJVZWb)
San Antonio Debates ‘Casita’ Regulations
The city wants to incentivize the construction of backyard dwelling units, but some councilmembers want to proceed cautiously to ensure the policy benefits local homeowners.
![A picture of a decorative sign announcing “The Domain” surrounded by high density shops and apartments.](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/The-Domain-Austin.jpg.webp?itok=OCKVPWWd)
New Building Heights Approved for Austin
A zoning change has increase height limits from 308 feet to 420 feet for new buildings near the city’s MLS stadium.
![Houston](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_155453267.jpg.webp?itok=I2U_Pdqj)
‘Employment-First’ Program in Harris County Offers Work and Supportive Services
The Employ2Empower program pays participants $15 an hour to work on county projects and engage with service providers while they await housing.
![View of reservoir with small island with trees in Texas](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1855784833.jpg.webp?itok=C3Ilrhyk)
Texas Water Officials Deaf on Climate Change
The state’s long-term water plan fails to account for the impacts of climate change on water supplies, setting Texas up for a severe water shortage in the coming decades.
![San Antonio](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_77132470.jpg.webp?itok=oV5y3cry)
San Antonio Surpasses Supportive Housing Goal
The city provided shelter for over 1,600 unhoused people and put hundreds of new affordable housing units into the construction pipeline.
![View of Dealey Plaza with pedestrians at crosswalk and brick book depository building in background](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_520752268.jpg.webp?itok=Kqk_Uq56)
A New Vision for Dallas’ Dealey Plaza
After decades of neglect, a team of designers reimagines the infamous plaza as a safe, vibrant, multimodal public space.
![Electric bus in Austin, Texas](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1860104272.jpg.webp?itok=NTy-VUKI)
Austin Preparing to Trim 'Project Connect' Long-Term Transit Plans
Increasing costs and an understanding about taxes are reducing the scope of the long-term transit plan in Austin, Texas.
![People post for photos in front of a colorful mural in the evening.](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/Deisgn-Workshop-Mural.jpg.webp?itok=LM0H38X5)
Placemaking: Building on the ‘Soul’ of a Place
Placemaking is often mistaken for a form of manufacturing. Every place already has a story to tell—placemaking just brings that story forward.
Pagination
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City of Morganton
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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