Triple Standard: Addressing the Missing Middle in the Texas Triangle

There’s an urban phenomenon happening in Texas. It’s called the Texas Triangle. Dallas-Fort Worth defines the top while Austin-San Antonio and Houston create the base. These major urban areas are connected by Interstate-45, Interstate 10, and Interstate 35. These cities, and other smaller ones, are experiencing significant transformational growth. Much of this is happening in outlying metro areas; causing once distinct cities to grow into one another. In the coming decades, the Triangle could become one megacity. To explore new futures of the Triangle, in 2019 I launched a multi-year design research investigation that explores alternatives to existing housing and land use models. The past six months was spent identifying different situations that exist in the periphery of major downtown areas. Outlining three prevailing spatial conditions is the primary focus of this paper. In January 2020, my design team started producing strategies that test density configuration, programmatic accommodation, and form generation relative to urban conditions of these places. Each of these investigations recognizes a missing middle scale of building and urban development. The current form of city-making will deplete resources in coming decades without producing a diverse mix of housing stock. Initial design work is mentioned in this paper, but remains schematic.

https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.AM.108.24

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ISBN
978-1-944214-26-5