Texas has experienced a prolonged economic boom, bringing with it a significant explosion in population. From 2000 to 2023, the state’s population grew by a remarkable 46.3 percent. This level of growth inevitably places pressure on cities, whether to update infrastructure, revise planning regulations, or address other critical urban challenges. The table below illustrates key milestones in Texas’s population growth during this period:
Texas Population Growth (2000–2023)
| Year | Population | Increase Since Previous Census/Year | Growth Rate |
| 2000 | 20,851,820 | - | - |
| 2010 | 25,145,561 | +4,293,741 | +20.6% |
| 2020 | 29,145,505 | +3,999,944 | +15.9% |
| 2023 | ~30,500,000 (estimated) | +1,354,495 (since 2020) | ~4.6% (3 years) |
The staggering population growth in Texas’ metropolitan areas mirrors a broader global trend of urban migration. From 2000 to 2023, Dallas experienced a 51.9 percent increase in population, San Antonio grew by 52.9 percent, Houston by 55.3 percent, and Austin had an astonishing 92 percent growth, according to moveBuddha. These numbers highlight the appeal of Texas cities and reflect the increasing global shift toward urban living.
Although these growth rates are impressive, they have so far been manageable. Future projections paint a far more dramatic picture, however. By 2100, Texas is expected to dominate the U.S. urban landscape, with Dallas, Houston, and Austin projected to become the three largest metropolitan areas in the country. Dallas is forecast to reach a population of 33.91 million, Houston 31.38 million, and Austin 22.29 million. Combined, these numbers represent 70 million new residents in Texas over the next 75 years.
This extraordinary growth underscores the urgent need for such cities as Dallas to rethink urban planning and infrastructure development. Dallas, which could triple in size, should consider adopting innovative approaches to manage urban sprawl and population density effectively.
Population growth poses similar challenges for any major city in the world. Whereas some cities—Tokyo, for example—grapple with the difficulties of population decline, cities undergoing rapid expansion, such as Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), face a different, yet equally pressing, question: Where is everyone going to live?
Texas is fortunate to have an abundance of land, but space alone cannot resolve the challenges brought by rapid urbanization. The availability of space does not mean cities can continue business as usual when it comes to planning. With the Dallas populace projected to grow significantly, we must evaluate whether the current model of urban sprawl can—or should—be expanded.
Should the DFW Metroplex expansion stretch all the way to the Oklahoma border, transforming places to the south, including Waco, into suburbs? Should the Texas Triangle evolve into a continuous urban corridor along its highways? These questions are fundamental for the future of Texas.
City planning is never straightforward, especially with municipalities competing for tax revenue, industries, and resources. Nevertheless, cities such as Dallas are now at a crossroads. Do we stumble into the future with no cohesive vision, or do we learn from what has worked—and not worked—in other cities?
Dallas needs to decide what kind of city it wants to be. The global race to become a “city of the future” is fierce, and urban sprawl will not win that race. Instead, we must focus on creating interconnected urban centers across DFW, forming vibrant secondary and tertiary hubs beyond the central business district.
This path does not mean downtown Dallas can’t or shouldn’t evolve. As the heartbeat of the region, downtown must lead by example—by serving as a model for other urban centers such as Plano, Frisco, Arlington, Fort Worth, Denton, McKinney, and others. By fostering a network of thriving, well-planned urban hubs, Dallas can position itself as a global leader in urban innovation and resilience.
The new vision
Cities must become more adaptable, and buildings should evolve beyond single-use designs. Adaptability is crucial for creating vibrant, sustainable urban centers. We can no longer rely on traditional construction, as in standalone office buildings, residential complexes, or typical mixed-use developments.
Instead, buildings must be designed to accommodate multiple functions—residential, commercial, educational, agricultural, and others—to foster dynamic urban environments. This includes spaces for K-12 and post-secondary education, retail, food and beverage, a range of residential options (affordable, student housing, condos, market-rate rentals), hotels, data centers, offices, laboratories, and urban farms that support a sustainable farm-to-table food chain.
Achieving this multivalence requires increased density in our urban centers. Although not every building needs to fit every typology, urban planning must redefine “mixed-use” to embrace more diverse functionalities.
This aim also means being open to significantly denser urban cores. Urban cores will have a multitude of these buildings, adjacencies will matter (i.e., what typologies are applied to buildings next to others). It will inform how we create vibrant urban centers where buildings will work in sync with one another and ensure that new mixed-use buildings create synergies. It will also be scalable, so that urban centers can grow based on citizens needs and use requirements.
Globally, cities are rapidly evolving as urbanization accelerates, which necessitates innovative solutions to accommodate growing populations. The shift to urban centers has been swift. At the turn of the 20th century, only 15 percent of the world’s population lived in cities. The lure of job opportunities in urban areas has consistently driven large-scale migration.
By 2007, a historic milestone was reached when more than 50 percent of the global population resided in urban areas. The Texas Triangle exemplifies this accelerated trend. By 2050, an estimated 68 percent of the global population is expected to live in cities, up from 55 percent today. This rapid growth makes traditional models of holistic urban expansion untenable.
No one-size-fits-all solution exists. Innovative models, such as The Line in Saudi Arabia, offer bold visions, though their applicability elsewhere remains uncertain. Canadian cities such as Vancouver and Toronto are leading large-scale urban densification in North America, but a question lingers around whether they’ve been too cautious. Asia, housing half the global urban population, leads in global urbanization. As more people move into urban centers, challenges in infrastructure, resource management, and social equity demand new approaches.
Dallas has an opportunity to create denser urban cores, redefine mixed-use developments, and foster collaboration between private developers and municipalities. Doing so will not only demonstrate effective urban planning to other cities, but it will also secure a prosperous future for North Texas.
Dallas’s vision must be distinct—embracing thriving mixed-use buildings that integrate various functionalities and form cohesive neighborhoods. The historical reliance on urban sprawl and suburban expansion has not been successful. Accommodating an additional 25 million residents will be challenging; expanding the single-family housing market is not feasible.
Urban sprawl will strain infrastructure, whether through roads or rail systems. Although future innovations might improve mobility, cities must plan for this population growth now. Without proper planning, Dallas risks losing its competitive edge to other major urban and economic centers. It’s also essential to have private developers willing to take risks and lead visionary developments.
With the right vision and strategy, Dallas and Texas’ other metropolitan areas can become global leaders in urban planning, ensuring a prosperous and sustainable future for all. It’s up to this vision to transform these cities into global superpowers of urban planning and densification.
