(Episode 6) Austin last re-wrote its land development code in 1984. Sounds boring, right? Well, that rewrite made it harder to build denser forms of housing. We explore the history of zoning in Austin and the opposition to changing the rules today, which could make the biggest difference in fixing Austin’s affordability crisis.
Growth Machine
Welcome to Silicon Gulch
(Episode 5) Not that long ago, Austin’s economy was sleepy, to put it mildly. People came here for UT, to work for the state or for the military.
A little more than 50 years ago, a bedsheet changed everything — including the housing market.
Texas Extra: Growth Machine — We Planned This
In this Texas Extra, you’ll hear the first episode of the new podcast Growth Machine: How Austin Engineered its Housing Market.
Austin has grown a lot in recent years — and the East Side has been impacted the most. To understand the city’s pattern of displacement, we have to go back to 1928.
Listen to Growth Machine: https://kutkutx.studio/category/growth-machine
We’re experimenting with bonus episodes here at the Texas Standard and we’d love to know what you think. You can let us know here: https://www.texasstandard.org/contact-us/
New law will allow chaplains in Texas public schools
The Supreme Court just struck down two race-based university admissions programs. What does it mean for Texas?
Even though Texas lawmakers knew federal money was on the way for expanding high-speed Internet access across the state, they decided to also implement their own program. A look at why.
A new podcast takes a deep dive into the decisions that have made Austin such an expensive place to live – and one where people of color were systematically pushed out.
And a new Texas law set to go into effect will allow public schools to have volunteer chaplains or even to hire them as part of the staff. We’ll hear the argument against the law.