Texas Target Communities (TxTC) partners with communities to assist them with needs that would otherwise go unmet through training on best practices, by equipping with tools, and by supplementing local capacity with faculty and student time and talent.
In my third year as director, we finished our year-long 30th anniversary celebration! TxTC, in many ways, has been my baby since 2013, and I was thrilled to honor and showcase all the exceptional work of students, faculty, and staff in support of Texas communities.
This year we provided plans, designs, and reports to seven communities and led community engagement for six research projects We played a greater role in supporting researchers as they pursued federal funding opportunities In 2025, we will participate in nine research projects to center community engagement and practitioner application Because of this surge in community-engaged research and scholarship, we are excited to bring on a new full-time staff person, Cedric Shy as program coordinator in the next year
In addition, after seven years at the university-level, we returned home to the College of Architecture in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning. In the spirit of productive and proactive change, we developed a five-year strategic plan where we plan to raise a $10 million endowment in support of work with low-capacity Texas communities. We look forward to continuing our journey with passionate educators, researchers, and scholars for greater impacts across Texas.
We do what we do because you! Thank you!
Jaimie Masterson Director - Texas Target Communities
For over 30 years, Texas Target Communities has paired faculty expertise in courses and research with communities across Texas
TxTC provides technical assistance to small, low-capacity communities and focuses on holistic efforts to address a host of challenges (i e civic, environmental, economic, etc ) encountered by communities today
The thoughtful community engagement serves as a “real world” transformational learning experience for students at Texas A&M University.
Take a look at our impacts from this last year!
Total Student Workinghours: 24,930
No. of research projects: 6
No. of Faculty: 22
No. of
Students: 148
No. of community meetings: 21
No. of Courses: 12
No. of Partnerships: 7
Our team combines knowledge and experience in city planning, hazard management, plan integration, community engagement, community-engaged research and teaching, architecture, urban design, and environmental justice We draw on these diverse backgrounds to address complex community challenges and promote sustainable development
“A strength I bring is taking dense material (scientific data and theories) and transforming it into useful information for different audiences.”
“My research and practice over the last 25 years has addressed the extent to which marginalized populations are accounted for in all types of plans.”
Jeewasmi Thapa
Tyrene Calvesbert Director Director Emeritus Senior Program Coordinator Community Outreach & Design Coordinator
“I love working closely with communities to identify their unique needs and blend planning methods and best practices with local insights, creating actionable plans that truly make a difference.”
“I bring an interdisciplinary expertise combining architecture and urban planning bridging projects’ strategies, plans and design, to empower the diverse needs of Texas communities.”
Farzana Ahmed,
Khulna, Bangladesh
Keerti Rath
Odisha, India
Elizabeth Dupont
San Antonio, Texas
Jenna Beyer
Brookshire, Texas
Joseph Hecker
Champaign, Illinois
Yue Zhang
Henan, China
Heather Wade
Austin, Texas
Adam Sieracki
Macomb, Michigan
Cedric Shy
Houston, Texas
Grace Canady
Klein, Texas
Na Wang
Shandong, China
Samantha Guzman
Round Rock, Texas
Interning with Texas Target Communities taught me the value and strategies of community engagement. I had the opportunity to apply my education and life experiences to real community challenges. This internship shaped my understanding that community members truly are the experts of their own communities.
Cedric Shy
Houston, Texas
Liberty County
City of Jefferson
City of Deer Park
Hutto Mixed-Use Development
Columbus and Colorado County
10th Street Neighborhood in Dallas
The Historical Society of De Leon is restoring a century-old railroad depot in downtown De Leon for a future museum. Designated as one of Preservation Texas' Most Endangered Structures in 2023, the depot faces severe structural threats due to inadequate drainage and erosion control Water runoff from nearby roads and sidewalks has eroded the earth beneath and around the depot’s foundations, exacerbating damage to the building and its wooden components In response, the Historical Society of De Leon reached out to TxTC to explore solutions to this drainage issue A team of students from the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Capstone course conducted thorough research and proposed design options with hardscape drainage systems and bioswales.
Courses:
AGSM 440/BAEN 480 Agricultural Systems Management and Biological and Agricultural Engineering Capstone: Greg Stark, Rabi Mohtar, Russell McGee, and Zivko Nikolov
Liberty County has been working with TxTC to update its 2016 Strategic Plan, reassessing the community vision, goals, and needs based on the changes in the last seven years. As part of this update, in Spring 2023, two planning courses facilitated public meetings, focus groups, and surveys to understand community needs and explore opportunities This collaboration identified key issues and formulated potential solutions addressing critical needs such as growth management, affordable housing, transportation safety and efficiency, economic development opportunities, community facilities siting and funding, healthcare and food access, and hazard management BAEN Capstone students also participated in developing drainage solutions for an area in the County
Recognizing the need for more public education and engagement, in Fall 2023, PLAN 661 students expanded outreach by organizing more engagement events to reach Spanishspeaking and rural communities, educate the public on the plan's key aspects, and gather feedback. They conducted tabling and canvassing at high schools, grocery stores, health centers, and community events, ensuring inclusive participation. In addition, TxTC intern and a final-year MUP student, Elizabeth Dupont, studied the transit service in Liberty County as part of her final-year professional project.
In June 2024, the County Steering Committee and key stakeholders came together for a final review of the revised implementation table The thorough engagement and review process, which included multiple rounds of feedback, has ensured that the plan is comprehensive and addresses the community's needs The plan is now set for adoption by the Liberty County Commissioners Court in October 2024
Courses:
PLAN 662 Applied Planning I: Christine Wen
PLAN 678 Applied Transportation Studio: Bill Eisele
PLAN 661 Information and Communication in Planning: Ivis Garcia
BAEN 480 Biological and Agricultural Engineering Capstone: Greg Stark and Rabi Mohtar
The Jefferson Economic Development Corporation and the Jefferson City Council are in the process of creating a community plan for the future. In the fall of 2022, graduate planning students designed and facilitated the first engagement process in Jefferson, Texas. Students conducted public meetings, multiple small-group stakeholder meetings, interactive pop-ups, and virtual engagements. Building on this work, graduate planning students have continued assisting Jefferson in creating a comprehensive plan. In the spring of 2024, PLAN 662 Applied Planning Studio students conducted additional community meetings to explore various development scenarios and potential options for future investments. Based on the community feedback, they developed a future land use map and created goals and objectives for Jefferson, including preserving history and culture, enhancing parks and natural spaces, promoting health and wellness services, improving affordable housing, developing community facilities, diversifying the economy, improving infrastructure, increasing access to broadband and utilities, and supporting sustainable building practices Additionally, as part of her final year professional project, TxTC intern and final year MUP student Keerti Rath studied the walking and biking infrastructure in the City of Jefferson
Courses:
PLAN 662 Applied Planning I: Jeewasmi Thapa
PLAN 678 Applied Transportation Studio: Bill Eisele
PLAN 661 Information and Communication in Planning: Justin Golbabai
The City of Deer Park, Texas (pop 34,495), experienced rapid growth from the 1960s to 1980s due to the petrochemical industry It has since developed an extensive parks system with 28 parks. Having achieved over 90% of its 2013 comprehensive master plan goals, the City's Parks and Recreation Department has engaged TxTC to develop a new long-term master plan for 2024-2034.
Students from LAND 311 Land Design Studio and a third-year MLA student began the project in the fall of 2023 by assessing existing parks and recreational facilities and conducting a community survey to gather feedback on existing parks, community needs, and environmental concerns. They held a community charette to develop a shared vision, goals, and objectives for park and recreation facilities and green infrastructure. Using this feedback, they established an improvement program and created a spatial master plan framework for the city-wide recreation and park system In Spring 2024, students from LAND 621 Studio created schematic site plans for priority areas identified in the planning process They collaborated closely with Parks and Recreation Department staff and presented their work to the City of Deer Park Park Commission and City Council
The new master plan is designed to uphold Deer Park’s CAPRA accreditation by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), ensuring the city's parks and recreational facilities continue to serve the community effectively.
Courses:
LAND 311 Landscape Design III: Dongying Li, Boqian Xu
LAND 621 Open Space Development II: Boqian Xu
LAND 693, Final Professional Study for Master of Landscape Architecture - Grace Canady, Committee: Changshan Huang, Mike Arnold, Scott Shafer
Landscape architecture students worked with LPL Investments to create conceptual designs for a mixed-use land development project near Hutto, Texas. The project focused on master planning and site design for a 195-acre rural property located on the north side of State Highway 79, 3 miles east of downtown Hutto. The owner of the property intends to create a cultural and social hub for the local community by developing a “town-center” like mixed-use destination. The proposed development includes a church building with event spaces and gardens, educational and cultural facilities, entertainment district, office complex, commercial buildings, outdoor community gathering spaces, and a variety of housing options, including live-to-work units and senior housing The design exploration was a collaborative effort, with contributions from students in an undergraduate Landscape Architecture Design Studio and final professional study project.
Courses:
LAND 312, Landscape Design IV: Changshan Huang LAND 693, Final Professional Study for Master of Landscape Architecture: Joseph Hecker Committee: Changshan Huang, Chip Winslow, and Michael Arnold
In 2019, the City of Columbus partnered with TxTC to enhance the visual appeal along key corridors, focusing on landscape improvements and highlighting historical assets. Columbus (pop. 3,699) is the county seat and largest city of Colorado County(pop. 20,557). Located at the crossroads of I-10 and SH 71, the City sought landscape improvements along gateway corridors. Building on past relationships, TxTC partnered with the City of Columbus to create a transportation plan for the City and the County. Graduate students in the Transportation Planning Studio met with community stakeholders to identify transportation issues, needs, opportunities, and priorities. During community engagement events, stakeholders identified three priorities: maintenance reliability, multimodal opportunities, and traffic safety The plans cover the existing road network conditions and traffic safety and propose programs and strategies to meet community priorities They serve as a supporting document for Colorado County staff and the cities of Weimar, Eagle Lake, and Columbus, aiding planning discussions with the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Texas Department of Transportation.
The Tenth Street Neighborhood in Oak Cliff, South Dallas, is a historic freedmen's town known for its modest folk houses built in the late 1800s and early 1900s As one of the nation's important Freedmen's Towns, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 The neighborhood faces ongoing threats, including disinvestments, demolitions, and gentrification pressures, which makes it one of America's most endangered historic places (2019).
At the request of the Southern Dallas Progress CDC, Texas Target Communities received funding from Dr. Walter Peacock with Bryan Mitchell's Master Builder Endowment by hosting the Mitchell Interdisciplinary Studio 2024. This initiative was launched to advocate for housing, support and leverage academic research, and involve practitioners to assist with preserving and restoring historic landscapes, spaces, and buildings The project spanned four graduate and undergraduate design studios, including joint virtual guest lectures, shared final presentations, and the exchange of self-generated documents and information. Students participated in a field trip, featuring two walking tour sessions led by a former landmark commissioner, visits to renovated historic houses, lunch discussions with residents, and a visit to Preservation Dallas where primary documents were shared in addition to a joint visit by the City of Dallas's current landmark commissioner, Chief Preservation Planner, and Senior Planner.
Additionally, we assembled a task force comprising community representatives from various organizations:
The Office of Historic Preservation of the City of Dallas Director of the Historical Foundation
Former and present Landmark Commissioners for District 4
Tenth Street Residential Association
BCWorkshop and Rayo Planning
ULI mTAP efforts
Neighborhood residents
Involved courses:
ARCH 305 Architecture Design III: Priya Jain and Tyrene Calvesbert
ARCH 602 Design Fundamentals II: Benjamin Basske and Marcelo López-Dinardi
As part of this initiative, students and faculty produced the following:
In the final year of the research project, we wrapped up project deliverables in Galena Park, a small city in Harris County within the Houston metropolitan area, bordering the Houston Ship Channel and proximity to a variety of petrochemical facilities and over 130 pipelines.
The purpose of the Project was to improve the resilience of Galena Park to hurricane/flood-induced releases of metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The research team conducted:
1.
Hydrodynamic modeling, expanding the predictions and flood scenarios with green infrastructure.
Survey using the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) method, which indicated that higher proximity to chemical facilities was correlated with self-reported poorer health, as well as, willingness to consider a housing buyout program
3
2. Community Master Plan, which identifies and evaluates promising structural and nonstructural infrastructure solutions to reduce risks It also included a Flooding-PollutionHealth Analysis, Multi-Modal Transportation Plan, Design Strategies Toolbox with Assemblage Units, High-Risk Site Master Plan, and Design Impact Model
There were several documented benefits of the project and plan:
Fostered increased community engagement
Helped expand knowledge of polluting facilities and health risks
Leveraged $3.5 million in grants for green infrastructure
Led to multiple TAMU faculty and student research papers and awards
Helped the city install comprehensive air quality monitoring systems
Helped gather data to secure over $12 million in funding for community health
Helped increase trust among city officials & community members
Fostered a sense of community pride and empowerment
The project was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science to Achieve Results Grant Program (STAR)
In the second year of the five-year project, the Southeast Texas Urban Integrated Field Lab (SETx-UIFL) focused on listening, measuring, modeling, analyzing, and designing to understand better future hazard risks from water, air, and climate, and the linkages between them and the Beaumont-Port Arthur region Texas Target Communities is playing a crucial role in providing support for community engagement, researcher training, and outreach guidance Specific activities took place:
The Co-design Team with Texas Target Communities, local Task Force members, and research team members met quarterly to discuss research results and identify points of particular interest to the community regarding flooding and air quality We also worked on identifying possible mitigation strategies for flooding and air quality issues.
The Water Team installed nine new sensors for measuring water levels, which increased the SETx network to 83 sensors. They modeled 5000 hydrological scenarios over SETx.
The Air Team conducted two intensive mobile campaigns to assess community exposure to air pollution. They calibrated CAMx to model air toxics and criteria pollutants, focusing on their spatial patterns and emission source contributions. The Climate Team identified and nearly completed downscaling the ten best climate models for SETx.
The Equity Team compared local social vulnerability indexes and identified local differences and drivers
The Knowledge Management Platform is developing systems for effectively disseminating the data and modeling results Activities also included the first Summer Institute for graduate students, which Lamar University hosted
Over 60 researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, Lamar University, Texas
A&M University, Prairie View A&M University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Texas A&M University and funded by the Department of Energy.
The Texas Target Communities team worked with researchers in the Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center, the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN), and the American Planning Association to develop and finalize guidance for rural communities vulnerable to natural hazards. Why is this necessary? We have found that many resources and tools often assume that rural places are just smaller cities, applying urban theories and practices. We know from practice that this approach doesn’t work in rural places.
We developed a community workbook that centers on the needs, challenges, and strengths of Gulf Coast rural communities as they plan for disasters The workbook and associated instructor manual assist rural communities in conducting a risk assessment, planning network analysis, housing stock vulnerability assessment, and integrating hazards into their comprehensive plans This project is funded by the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
For the tenth year, Texas Target Communities assisted the research team on the The Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard™ (PIRS). PIRS assesses how networks of local plans target hazardous areas and evaluates the coordination of local plans This year we expanded the method to assess multiple hazards: flooding, extreme heat, and wildfire The process of assessing multiple hazards allows communities to see the conflicts that can occur from the policies that mitigate one hazard and their affects on the mitigation efforts of other hazards Get the latest on research and case studies at https://planintegration com/
Planning for Imminent Ignition in the Southern U.S.: Stakeholder-driven Challenges and Opportunities for Wildfire Mitigation and Preparedness
A team of researchers with the Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center, and staff with Texas Target Communities received funding to understand the differences and unique challenges for the Southern U.S. (as opposed to Western states) in hazard mitigation policy and programming for wildland fire risk that is less well understood in the academic literature and practice. With this planning grant, we will convene and moderate integrated conversations among a range of interested and affected researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders to discuss wildfire risk in the Southern U.S. to reveal key issues for successfully mitigating, managing, and living with wildland fire hazards. We will gather information on current wildfire plans, regulations, and administrative and communications structures in the region to better understand governance as related to wildland fire risk and explore the potential risks of wildfire to the built environment, response systems, and health of responders and local communities
The NextGen-Guardians of the Gulf (NextGen-GG) is a high school curricula and summer camp experience for youth as they learn about disaster planning, emergency management, and future climate impacts. The program, developed by project partner Charity Productions, supported by faculty with the Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center, and piloted within a Port Arthur charter school, incorporates mentorship, high school and college credits, professional development continuing education credits, field visits with hands-on data collection, interactive planning activities, engagement with guest speakers and leading professionals, and a fellowship program. The NextGen-GG program is an interdisciplinary experience, combining education in disasters, urban planning, and public health holistically This program will develop youth leaders knowledgeable in climate change and its effect on community disaster resilience and provide educational pathways from high school to college and onto careers in climate resilience Youth will attend Camp DASH (Disaster, Advocacy, Sustainability, and Health) for free, run by the Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center at Texas A&M University
Wei Li, Jiahe Bian, Chanam Lee, Anatol Bologan, Theodora Chaspari, Jaimie Masterson, Jacqueline Stillisano, Kim Wright, Samantha Shields, Debra Fowler (2023)
"Interdisciplinary and project-based service-learning for smart and connected communities: Insights from ENDEAVR." Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Education.
Sansom, G., Hernandez, R., Johnson, J., Newman, G., Atoba, K., Masterson,, J., Davis, D., Fawkes, L. (2023). "Evaluating the Impact of Proximity to Toxic Release Inventory Facilities and Flood Events on Chronic Health Outcomes in the City of Galena Park, Texas.” Climate Risk Management.
NASEM. Strengthening Equitable Community Resilience: Criteria and Guiding Principles for the Gulf Research Program’s Enhancing Community Resilience (EnCoRe) Initiative of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. (2023) https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26880/strengthening-equitable-communityresilience-criteria-and-guiding-principles-for-the
Masterson, Jaimie & Katare, Anjali & Thapa, Jeewasmi & Malecha, Matthew & Yu, Siyu & Berke, Philip (2023) “Plan integration and plan quality: combining assessment tools to align local infrastructure priorities to reduce hazard vulnerability ” Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure 1-16 10 1080/23789689 2023 2165779
Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) Great Lakes Challenge Advisory Board Member- Jaimie Masterson
National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Board of Gulf Education & Engagement - John Cooper
The REACH Project Board Member- John Cooper
Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities Network (EPIC-N) Board Member- Jeewasmi Thapa
TAMU Graduate and Professional School and the Center for Teaching Excellence, Graduate Mentoring Academy Fellow- Jeewasmi Thapa
Day 1, Session 3: Inclusivity and Equity in Wildfire Disaster Planning and Relief
California Wildfire Conference
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Simi Valley, CA
October 24, 2023
Host – Coastal Quest and Ventura County Wildfire Collaborative
“Community Centered Disaster Preparedness: A Community is Only as Resilient as Its Most Vulnerable Citizens”
NC Grassroots Leadership Academy Workshop
Beaufort, NC
March 12-13, 2024
Host – NC A&T Extension
“Inequity IS the Disaster”
Disasters and Equity Workshop!
Chapel Hill, NC
March 25 -26, 2024
Host – UNC Coastal Resilience Center
“Lessoned Learned: Strategies for Community Engagement”
East Lansing, MI
November 13th
Host – W K Kellogg Foundation
Session Three: Innovations in Engaged Scholarship
Engagement Scholarship Symposium
Online Event
April 18, 2024
Host – Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility, Swarthmore College
Heirs Property and Disasters
February 28, 2024
Host - Preparedness Response Innovation Mitigation Recovery
We are excited for another year!