Community & Regional Planning News

Thirteen students traveled to Seoul to participate in the International Joint Symposium and Workshop, co-organized by Community and Regional Planning Program Director Ming Zhang.

Students design community-centered spaces within the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve in Benjamin Ibarra-Sevilla’s Advanced Design Studio

Associate Professor Miriam Solis and Assistant Professor Maggie Hansen have been coalition-building in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) for several years. Amplifying the voices of local youth in Pharr, Texas, their participatory design and collaborative pedagogical methods have forged a powerful link between ecological and cultural work, with actionable design deliverables.

Advanced Studios offer unique opportunities for focused inquiry under the leadership of renowned faculty and visiting scholars. Often incorporating international travel, these specialized courses involve intensive research and field work for first-hand investigations in global contexts. Here are some highlights from the Fall 2025—Spring 2026 academic year:

A team of University of Texas at Austin students earned first place in the prestigious Gerald D. Hines ULI Urban Design Competition, taking home the $35,000 grand prize in April. Each year, graduate teams from across the country take on this challenge, aimed at idea generation and increasing awareness for multidisciplinary solutions to development and design scenarios. This year, the competition brought focus to our own city of Austin, Texas.

Associate Professor Charles L. Davis II and Assistant Professor Tara A. Dudley have each been awarded grants from the Mellon Foundation in support of research that advances our understanding of untold histories and communities through architecture and the built environment. These prestigious research grants will fund Davis’ and Dudley’s inquiry and scholarship for multiple years, developing resources that will shape the field for generations to come.

County judges across Texas navigate complex decisions: managing growth, preserving rural character, addressing infrastructure and climate risks, and meeting increasing expectations from constituents. Navigating these challenges with limited regulatory powers and fiscal capacity demands thoughtful leadership, strategic coordination, and proactive planning and design.

Excellence in design, planning, and preservation demands immense care for community. At The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture, we urge the next generation to never lose focus on the tangible ways in which our work impacts the built, natural, and social environments. Our work helps shape a better world, and it is a privilege as dean to support and advance design and research grounded in a shared desire to nurture the health, creativity, and well-being of the public.

Coinciding with the reopening of the John S. Chase Architecture and Planning Library in Battle Hall, we asked eight UTSOA faculty members, students, and alumni to share their thoughts on the ways libraries and archives transcend the physical spaces of their collections.

Associate Professor Alex Karner and Professor Emeritus Elizabeth Mueller will classify neighborhood types in Austin and evaluate their specific needs, rather than simply labeling areas as high opportunity or not.

As Professor Emeritus, Dr. Mueller will continue working on several externally funded research projects underway within the City of Austin and nationally.

Dean Heather Woofter and CRP Professor Ming Zhang participated in the inaugural Texas Global Summit in Seoul this April.

Each year, graduate teams from across the country take on this challenge, aimed at idea generation and increasing awareness for multidisciplinary solutions to development and design challenges. This year, the competition brought focus to our own city. 

Their project, AI²: Ancestral Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence for Flood Mitigation, was awarded seed funding through Good Systems’ internal competition, aimed at advancing human-centered AI.

Assistant Professor Maggie Hansen and Associate Professor Miriam Solis won with their proposal “Visioning Eco-Connectivity with Youth in the Rio Grande Valley.”

Makariv, a small agricultural town west of Kyiv, suffered severe destruction in the early days of Russia’s invasion. In response, students from UTSOA are collaborating with Ukrainian partners to develop a strategic plan for rebuilding, while navigating the ongoing challenges.

Support from the SNSF Scientific Exchange and UT’s Faculty Development Leave program will allow Dr. Gian-Claudia Sciara to join the Swiss Federal Institute’s Land Use Systems Group as a Visiting Scientist during academic year 2025-26.

Three new faculty-led study abroad opportunities expose students to critical works of contemporary and emergent architecture, global perspectives, and new cultural experiences. Programs led by School of Architecture faculty and leadership will take students to Japan, South Korea, London, Copenhagen, Zurich, and Basel.

The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture presents Planetary Imaginaries: an expansive series of public engagements for the Fall 2025 semester starting on September 5. Invited architects, landscape architects, planners, and historians continue the school’s legacy of intentional rooted practice through critical conversations that respond to the increasingly urgent conditions of each field. 

UTSOA is proud to welcome new and visiting faculty members to the school this fall. With unique insight in the fields of Architecture, Interior Design, and Planning, these scholars and practitioners will bring invaluable new perspectives.

At the School of Architecture's 112th commencement ceremony, we celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2025.

Sletto has served the school's Community and Regional Planning Program for nearly 20 years, teaching courses on environmental and social justice, international planning, public space planning, and practicums focused on international planning and development.

A multidisciplinary team of students were recognized for their proposal for a 46-acre site in Denver, Colorado, guided by principles of mobility and connectivity, environmental sustainability, social resilience and economic stability.

In January, we hosted the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and the American Institute of Architects' (AIA) "Intersections" conference, exploring the potential of small-scale, engaged housing design interventions. The Architect's Newspaper offers their review.

The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture’s Spring 2025 Lecture Series aims to create and explore discourse on critical topics within the study and practice of architecture, design, planning and the built environment.

Congratulations to Community and Regional Planning Professor Sandi Rosenbloom on being recognized for her achievements and pioneering work in transportation research.

The School of Architecture at The University of Texas at Austin is seeking applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position in Environmental Planning.

To celebrate her appointment as Associate Professor with tenure in Community and Regional Planning, we caught up with Katherine Lieberknecht to learn more about her research, cross-disciplinary projects, and advice for Texas climate planning.

The 2025 ACSA/AIA Intersections Research Conference: New Housing Paradigms will take place in Austin on Jan. 9–11 and feature Assistant Professor Martin Hättasch and Professor Elizabeth Mueller as co-chairs.

The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture celebrates promotions for three faculty members, Aleksandra Jaeschke, Katherine Lieberknecht, and Allan Shearer.

Their international multidisciplinary team presents a vision for the future of Bangladesh as the world’s first developed terraqueous nation.

At the School of Architecture's 111th commencement ceremony, we celebrate the accomplishments of this year's graduating class. What starts here changes the world!

Students across the School of Architecture and beyond develop a proposal for sustainable, community-focused medical student housing in East Austin.

Associate Professors Danelle Briscoe and Junfeng Jiao and Master of Architecture student Ji Yoon Ahn are participating in SXSW events exploring the intersection of ecology design and bee preservation and the ways that artificial intelligence can support the development of more inclusive, sustainable, and enjoyable urban experiences.

Meet Master of Community and Regional Planning alumnus Caleb Roberts

Meet Community and Regional Planning alumna Claire Hempel.

Associate Professor Alex Karner contributed to a National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report that reviewed how the U.S. Department of Transportation could emphasize and promote equity within the competitive grants process.

In an article about food access in Del Valley, Associate Professor Alex Karner discusses mapping practices and their impact,

Lecturer Meg Merritt speaks with Fast Company about the potential of high-speed rail in Texas.

Professor Ming Zhang weighs in on transit-oriented development in San Antonio for Axios San Antonio.

Ahead of City Council's vote, Associate Professor Jake Wegmann spoke with the Austin American-Statesman about Austin's proposed land code reform.

The Fort Worth Report cites Professor Liz Mueller and Associate Professor Jake Wegmann's research on markers for gentrification and displacement.

Meet Master of Community and Regional Planning (MSCRP) alumnus Brendan Goodrich.

Associate Professor Michael Oden and Assistant Professor Miriam Solis illuminate a recent research effort they led alongside Assistant Professor Katherine Lieberknecht that aimed to integrate sustainable placemaking with the drive to expand climate justice and the green economy. This article originally appeared in the 2023-2024 edition of Platform, “Civics and Placemaking.”

Community and Regional Planning alumnus John Ridgon discusses the need to broaden our definition of public spaces and the importance of growing them now to meet future community needs. This article originally appeared in the 2023-2024 issue of Platform, "Civics and Placemaking."

Associate Professor Michael Holleran considers public space through the lens of water, exploring the systems that make and shape cities, and the expressions of water in landscape and culture. This article originally appeared in the 2023-2024 edition of Platform, "Civics and Placemaking."

Community and Regional Planning and Urban Design dual degree alumna Tatum Lau discusses the importance of public space and how we, as designers and planners of the built environment, can challenge inequities and contribute to more healthy and resilient communities. This article originally appeared in the 2023-2024 issue of Platform, "Civics and Placemaking."

As Austin eliminates parking requirements, The Daily Texan spoke with Associate Professor Jake Wegmann about its implications for the city.

The Austin Chronicle speaks with twelve mobility experts about possibilities for Austin's transportation future, including Associate Professor Alex Karner.

Planet Texas 2050 highlights Assistant Professor Miriam Solis' work to shed light on environmental challenges and injustices faced by communities in the Rio Grande Valley, as seen through the lens of local high school students.

A proposal by Associate Professor Junfeng Jiao and Professor Ming Zhang to study smart cities in Japan was selected for a President's Award for Global Learning.

Meet Master of Community and Regional Planning alumna Shirley Li

Professor Ming Zhang spoke with My San Antonio about his research on mega-regions, and how the Austin-San Antonio mega-metro fits into the greater Texas Triangle.

Radical Middle Grounds will bring architects, historians, urban designers, and economists together for a day of conversations about housing forms and processes in the middle grounds between (suburban) house and (urban) apartment.

Associate Professor Jake Wegmann speaks with the Texas Tribune about housing affordability in Texas and the "missing middle."

Urban Design Professor Dean Almy spoke with Dezeen about the implications of Austin's supertalls for the city.

The Daily Texan highlights a new federally-funded climate resilience research project that Associate Professor Junfeng Jiao will be a part of.

The Texas Tribune cites Professor Liz Mueller and Associate Professor Jake Wegmann's research exploring gentrification and displacement in Austin.

Associate Professor Jake Wegmann penned an op-ed in the Austin Chronicle about cities' potential move to lower the minimum lot size and what this means for housing affordability.