Deden Rukmana
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dedenrukmana.bsky.social
Deden Rukmana
@dedenrukmana.bsky.social
Professor and Director of the Master of City and Regional Planning at the University of Texas at Arlington
Another North Texas city considers leaving DART, It shows how fragmented, short-term thinking keeps undermining regional transit—walking away may ease local budgets, but it weakens mobility, coordination, and long-term sustainability for the entire metroplex.

www.dallasnews.com/news/transpo...
This city could be the next to schedule an election to consider leaving DART
Another North Texas city is considering holding an election to withdraw from DART, potentially the fifth in the growing group of member cities to seek an exit...
www.dallasnews.com
January 2, 2026 at 2:25 AM
UTA West will break ground on its first building and finalize academic offerings in 2026.

fortworthreport.org/2025/12/31/u...
UTA West to begin construction of first building, decide academic offerings in 2026
Tarrant County’s largest four-year university is making progress toward the fall 2028 open date of its new Parker County campus.
fortworthreport.org
January 1, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Dallas’ downtown struggles are a planning failure. It should prioritize housing conversion, transit access, and public space over another round of developer-driven fixes.

www.wsj.com/real-estate/...
Dallas Is Booming—Except for Its Downtown
Texas city’s central business district faces a crisis as companies look for snazzy suburban alternatives to aging office towers.
www.wsj.com
December 29, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Decades of widening highways without tackling land use, transit options, or demand management have left us with longer commutes, higher emissions, and fewer real choices. Congestion isn’t inevitable; it’s planned.

www.dallasnews.com/news/transpo...
These Dallas-Fort Worth roads are among the most traffic-plagued in Texas
On average, North Texans lost 69 hours sitting in traffic in 2024, according to a Texas A&M study.
www.dallasnews.com
December 29, 2025 at 6:03 PM
City leaders must immediately redesign streets for safety by lowering speed limits, funding protected sidewalks and crossings, prioritizing Vision Zero, and shifting transportation dollars from car throughput to human life.

www.dallasnews.com/news/transpo...
Dallas ‘most dangerous’ city in Texas for pedestrian fatalities, city work group says
In 2023, there were 71 fatal pedestrian involved crashes in the city, according to the work group’s report.
www.dallasnews.com
December 29, 2025 at 5:59 PM
To ensure new investment in southern Dallas delivers real community benefits, city leaders should tie housing development approvals to commitments for grocery retailers and essential services, support local hiring and small businesses.

www.dallasnews.com/news/2025/12...
Oak Cliff development near UNT Dallas means homes, hope for a grocery store
Across from UNT Dallas, 90 acres are being developed in southern Dallas. Earlier this year, the Dallas City Council approved a $23.5 million grant to support...
www.dallasnews.com
December 29, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Parks must be planned as essential infrastructure that delivers health, resilience, and community wealth, not optional extras driven by chance collaboration.

fortworthreport.org/2025/12/28/g...
Gateway Park to see new amenities soon. This local group is helping enact plans
Gateway Park Action Coalition was formed to help move a master plan forward, identify funds.
fortworthreport.org
December 29, 2025 at 5:47 PM
North Texas’ air quality warning should be a wake-up call, not just a statistic. This is our moment to invest in cleaner transportation, healthier land-use patterns, and regional coordination that puts public health at the center of growth.

fortworthreport.org/2025/12/10/w...
Worst air pollution in North Texas? Fort Worth among top cities this year
Fort Worth and Frisco tied for the top spot in having the worst ozone levels in 2025, data shows.
fortworthreport.org
December 18, 2025 at 6:44 PM
How student housing, neighborhood stability, and affordability can coexist.

fortworthreport.org/2025/12/14/z...
Zoning change intends to protect TCU neighborhoods from ‘stealth dorms’
The City Council approved a zoning change that prohibits multifamily housing disguised as single-family homes for some areas near TCU.
fortworthreport.org
December 18, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Dallas–Fort Worth’s rise as a hub for “cowboy capitalism” in venture capital shows the region carving out its own innovation identity—one rooted in pragmatism, scale, and long-term growth rather than hype alone.

www.dallasnews.com/business/ban...
Dallas-Fort Worth ‘Cowboy Capitalism’ carves its own niche in venture capital
North Texas is on track for $2.5 billion invested in early-stage companies in 2025. Last year, that number was $1.4 billion. In 2019, $500 million. The growth...
www.dallasnews.com
December 18, 2025 at 6:36 PM
It is more than a response to rising water demand and mounting waste — it’s an opportunity to rethink how a fast-growing city sustains itself.

fortworthreport.org/2025/12/15/s...
Soaring water demand, increasing trash prompt $350M award. Here’s how it helps Fort Worth
The funds will help officials as they prepare for rapid population and economic growth and a quickly expiring landfill.
fortworthreport.org
December 18, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Fort Worth’s emergence as a hub for driverless vehicles offers a glimpse of a more connected, efficient future — but the real opportunity lies in shaping this technology to serve people, not just innovation.

fortworthreport.org/2025/12/15/f...
Fort Worth emerges as hub for driverless vehicles
New logistics districts and state routes are putting Fort Worth at the center of autonomous trucking.
fortworthreport.org
December 18, 2025 at 6:23 PM
This new semiconductor factory is more than an industrial win—it’s an opportunity to align advanced manufacturing with workforce development, housing, and infrastructure to build a more resilient and inclusive region.

www.dallasnews.com/business/202...
Texas Instruments opens first semiconductor factory at massive Sherman site
Texas Instruments opened its first semiconductor facility in Sherman on Wednesday, part of a planned Grayson County “megasite” the electronics giant says will...
www.dallasnews.com
December 18, 2025 at 5:59 PM
I’m honored and delighted to have my article with my brilliant coauthor, Nabilla D. Adharina selected by the editors of Town Planning Review as the featured article Volume 96 Issue 6.
December 17, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Homelessness is a housing problem. We need to invest to treat, shelter and house them.

www.dallasnews.com/opinion/edit...
Dallas has an imperfect homeless plan. The plan still needs funding now
The Dallas City Council was expected to vote Wednesday to invest $10 million in Housing Forward's Street to Home initiative to combat homelessness. But a...
www.dallasnews.com
December 11, 2025 at 4:00 AM
If we plan with intention, this project can become a model for inclusive, future-ready urban development in North Texas.

www.dallasnews.com/business/rea...
Google spending nearly $1B on growing data center campus in southern D-FW
Google plans to spend nearly $1 billion to add on to its existing data center campus in Midlothian.
www.dallasnews.com
December 10, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Fort Worth has wrapped up its bond and Comprehensive Plan road show, taking a key step toward finalizing the city’s priorities for infrastructure, growth, and long-term community investment.

fortworthreport.org/2025/12/05/f...
Fort Worth finishes bond program and comprehensive plan road show
City Council members will choose the final bond program later this month and send it to voters for an election in May.
fortworthreport.org
December 7, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Dallas’ should guide our next generation of infrastructure decisions: pair transportation investments with walkability, housing options, and transit access and commit to long-term planning that prioritizes people, not just traffic flow.

www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
25 years after remaking Central Expressway, Dallas should learn from that success
On the 25th anniversary of the Central Expressway completion, Dallas can learn from the success of that project.
www.dallasnews.com
December 7, 2025 at 5:53 PM
I agree with the authors of this op-ed. It’s time to move beyond NIMBY-style resistance & embrace a future where density, affordability, & economic opportunity grow together. Let’s turn the housing crisis into a shared vision of thriving, inclusive neighborhoods.

www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...
A Texas housing solution is threatened by local obstructionism
North Texas cities are finding ways to sidestep state law that would provide more housing, but new rules may be unconstitutional.
www.dallasnews.com
December 4, 2025 at 5:10 PM
It is the time to invest in shared infrastructure, equitable growth, & inclusive economic opportunity so that every city thrives together. The future of this region isn’t about competition; it’s about connection, shared vision, and collective success.

www.dallasnews.com/news/2025/12...
‘We win together’: What North Texas mayors think about D-FW’s regional future
As North Texas grows in population and power, six mayors of some of the region’s largest cities called for collaboration and continued emphasis on economic...
www.dallasnews.com
December 4, 2025 at 4:47 PM
To truly expand affordability, the city must pair this investment with missing-middle housing, land banking, stronger inclusionary tools, and transit-oriented development. A bond should be a catalyst that serves the full spectrum of Fort Worth residents.

fortworthreport.org/2025/12/02/s...
Single-family homes focus of Fort Worth’s potential $5M affordable housing bond
City staff plan for $5 million of the $840 million bond proposal to combat rising housing costs. Some council members feel it’s not enough.
fortworthreport.org
December 3, 2025 at 8:09 PM
As North Texas grows, we have the chance to shape the airport’s expansion into a catalyst for complete communities: transit-connected job centers, walkable mixed-use districts, & housing options that bring workers closer to opportunity.

fortworthreport.org/2025/12/03/a...
Airport boom: DFW contributes $78.3B annually to North Texas economy
A new economic impact study by economist Ray Perryman details the significant impact DFW Airport has on jobs, air travel and tourism.
fortworthreport.org
December 3, 2025 at 7:08 PM
DART’s long-term viability depends on systemwide investment, strategic land-use policy, and a renewed commitment to serving all neighborhoods — not just the profitable ones.

www.dallasnews.com/news/politic...
Dallas hopes to offer DART respite amid potential suburban exodus, stagnant ridership
Council members offered support the same day the city of Addison was set to consider holding elections to let voters decide whether to stay or leave DART.
www.dallasnews.com
December 3, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Economic growth also means rising home values, and expensive new homes are also expensive to insure.

www.dallasnews.com/business/per...
Texans pay more for insurance than almost every other state, according to report
An analysis by MoneyGeek found that Texas has the sixth-highest insurance burden of any state in the U.S. plus Washington, D.C. In raw terms, Texas owns the...
www.dallasnews.com
November 29, 2025 at 4:34 PM
it’s an opportunity to reimagine the district’s future. With strategic investments in walkability, mixed-use development, public space, and transit connectivity, Arlington can transform short-term tourism energy into a lasting model of a vibrant urban core.

fortworthreport.org/2025/11/26/d...
Downtown Arlington sees growth ahead of 2026 World Cup visitor surge
New businesses are continuing to pop up in a dense, walkable district in downtown Arlington called Urban Union.
fortworthreport.org
November 29, 2025 at 2:38 PM