There’s an old joke in Texas that goes something like this: 

What’s the Texas state bird? 

The crane. Because there’s so much construction here.

The mockingbird is the actual answer, but the joke illustrates how many construction projects occur in the Lone Star state. Texas is the second-largest state in population and size, and it has responded to rapid population growth by focusing on infrastructure. This is especially true in north Texas. Communities across the Dallas-Fort Worth region—including McKinney, Frisco, Celina and Prosper—are adding residents and development at a pace that puts pressure on roads, utilities, transportation networks and public services. For municipalities facing similar growth, the question is not simply how to build more infrastructure, but how to plan, prioritize and fund those investments before today's capacity becomes tomorrow's bottleneck.

Michael Chisholm is the Dallas-Fort Worth public infrastructure lead at McAdams, a North Carolina-based engineering and design firm that has grown its Texas presence since acquiring G&A Consultants in 2018. The firm now has offices in Raleigh, Durham, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Orlando and Lewisville, Texas. In north Texas, McAdams works with communities that want to take a proactive approach to growth through long-term planning. Chisholm has more than 15 years of experience in civil engineering, roadway design and municipal project management.

In this Q&A with Roads & Bridges, conducted over email, Chisholm explains how fast-growing cities are using development agreements, impact fees, bond programs and outside funding to build infrastructure before it's needed. He also discusses why communities are investing in trails, sidewalks and transit instead of relying only on wider roads, how cities can prioritize capital projects and earn public support, and how the role of consulting engineers is shifting from designers to long-term advisors.

For an infrastructure industry watching population growth reshape communities across the country, north Texas offers an important case study. How communities respond to rapid growth today can help determine whether their infrastructure becomes a constraint on future development or a foundation for it.

R&B: North Texas has become one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, with communities like McKinney, Frisco, Celina and Prosper adding residents at a remarkable pace. From your perspective, what are the biggest infrastructure challenges these rapidly growing municipalities face, and how are cities rethinking long-term planning to stay ahead of growth instead of constantly trying to catch up?

MC: The DFW communities managing growth most successfully are the ones taking a proactive rather than a reactive approach to infrastructure planning. Instead of waiting for congestion, utility constraints or service deficiencies to emerge, they use development agreements, impact fees, bond programs and state and federal funding opportunities to deliver critical infrastructure ahead of growth. The cities staying ahead understand that success requires more than funding – it takes long-term planning, strategic investment and a clear vision for where the community is headed over the next several decades. Their focus is not just on keeping up with growth but on supporting it sustainably.

Partnerships are equally important. No city can address these challenges alone. Successful municipalities build strong relationships with developers, regional agencies, utility providers, funding partners and trusted consultants who help plan, fund, design and deliver infrastructure improvements. These partnerships create alignment, improve efficiency and help cities maximize limited resources. Those relationships remain valuable long after the growth phase. As communities mature, the focus shifts toward maintaining, rehabilitating and replacing aging infrastructure. The cities seeing the greatest success today are those that view partnership as a long-term strategy, building resilient infrastructure systems that support continued growth while preserving the quality of life that attracted residents in the first place.

R&B: As the Dallas-Fort Worth region continues to expand, communities are placing greater emphasis on multimodal transportation rather than simply adding more traffic lanes. How are municipalities balancing the needs of motorists with investments in trails, sidewalks, transit and other transportation options, and what lessons could other fast-growing regions learn from that approach?

MC: Congestion is not simply a capacity problem. Adding lanes rarely solves the problem. Communities that I have had the privilege of working with across North Texas take a more balanced approach. They start by asking where people need to go and how they can get there safely and conveniently. 

This means treating trails, sidewalks, shared use paths, transit connections and complete street concepts as functional parts of the transportation network, not extras. The ‘if you build it, they will come’ mentality rings true on this when it’s coupled with a master vision that is supported by the city and its residents. The result is fewer cars on the road because people have real options, not because anyone forced them out of their vehicles. 

What I find most rewarding in this work is connectivity. A connected network does more than move people efficiently. It improves quality of life, supports local businesses and builds a community where people want to live and work. For example, the McAlpine Creek Greenway in Charlotte, North Carolina that McAdams recently completed illustrates how, when done thoughtfully, infrastructure projects allow residents to be more active, thus enhancing their overall quality of life and ultimately, keeping them in the area long-term.  

For engineers and public works professionals, the opportunity ahead is significant. The communities positioned for long-term success see transportation as more than moving cars. Helping clients build networks that support mobility, economic growth and quality of life is some of the most meaningful work our profession offers.

R&B: Managing a municipal capital improvement program has become increasingly complex as costs rise, development accelerates and public expectations continue to grow. What best practices have you found help cities prioritize projects, secure public support and deliver infrastructure improvements on time and within budget?

MC: Cities that have the most success with their Capital Improvement Programs (CIPs) are typically those that remain disciplined in following a clear, data-backed process aligned with their long-term vision for the community. Elected officials and staff face real pressures to respond to immediate resident concerns, and that responsiveness matters. The best-performing municipalities balance that focus on projects that provide the greatest overall value, weighing safety, compliance, capacity, impact and quality of life. This approach helps them prioritize limited resources effectively and ensure investments support both current and future community needs.

Public support is equally important to the success of any CIP. In my experience, residents are generally supportive of infrastructure investments when they understand the need, the benefits and the long-term impacts of delaying improvements. Open communication, transparency and consistent engagement help build trust and demonstrate how projects connect to the community's broader goals. While unanimous agreement is rare, taking the time to listen, educate and involve stakeholders helps residents feel heard and gives them confidence in the direction their city is heading.

Delivering projects on time and within budget also requires proactive planning and strong partnerships. Cities that stay ahead of growth continually update priorities, monitor costs, preserve right-of-way and identify funding opportunities before projects become urgent. They also surround themselves with trusted partners, including county and regional agencies, developers, contractors and consultants who can help navigate funding, requirements, and project challenges. These partnerships matter during periods of rapid growth and as infrastructure ages and communities shift their focus toward rehabilitation, replacement and asset management. Ultimately, the municipalities that see more success view their CIP as a strategic program that supports the community's vision rather than simply a list of individual projects.

R&B: Engineering firms are being asked to do much more than produce plans and specifications. How has the role of consulting engineers evolved as municipalities deal with rapid growth, aging infrastructure and increasingly complex funding and regulatory environments, and what do you see changing over the next five years?

MC: Municipalities today rely on their engineering partners as advisors invested in the success of the communities they serve. Consulting engineers walk alongside municipal staff through every phase, from master planning and capital improvement programming to grant assistance, stakeholder engagement and program delivery. 

This partnership model matters across North Texas, where growth continues to reshape communities at a fast pace. Whether evaluating future capacity needs, coordinating with regional agencies or helping implement bond programs, consulting engineers function as an extension of municipal staff, not an outside design firm. That relationship, built on trust and a real understanding of each community’s priorities, allows cities to make confident, informed decisions.

Looking ahead, the most successful engineering firms will pair their strong technical knowledge with planning, technology and a deep commitment to collaboration and relationships. Technology is changing fast, and more tools are becoming available every year. The real work is in how firms put those tools to use while staying focused on people. Our job is not to chase perfect systems. It’s to serve the public, both now and in the future. Being that trusted advisor means showing up with real support and real answers to allow city staff to focus on their communities, knowing they have what they need every step of the way.