The cities, the freeway lanes,
the sprawl. Texan planning seemingly has no control, and the absence of zoning
undoubtedly contributes to the chaos. Lanes upon lanes of freeways span
expansive cities, and traffic congestion is rife. Public transport is virtually
non-existent. However, certain parts of cities are introducing, or planning to
introduce, transit to help connect ever-expanding cities. Not that connectivity
hasn't already been thought of - President Obama was rejected of his plans to
connect Chicago to Austin via a high speed rail, although a private investor
has been approved of the first stage of a high speed rail to connect Dallas to
Austin. Things are only beginning to change now.
The future of planning
in Texas has been impeded by years of no planning. For example, Houston has only
recently adopted its first general plan after many false starts over the last
few decades. For years, many community groups advocated for a general plan, as
there was no citywide plan articulating goals for the future. In spite of their
efforts, many plans came together but were never formally adopted. This has
been further exacerbated by other communities who fear that comprehensive plans
have ulterior motives, and are therefore fearful of planning. Additionally, after
years of being allowed to build whatever and wherever, Texans are hesitant about
a future with rules and regulations.
Talei Lewis
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