It’s been a big year for North Texas, especially when it comes to innovation. From industry disruptors, to technological breakthroughs, to groundbreaking advancements, we’ve seen it all in 2018—and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.

As we move into 2019, we’d like to reflect on the stories behind the people and places that grabbed our readers’ attention this year. From new startups (Alto), to 5G (Phazr), to corporate headquarters (Citi, Boeing), to CEOs making a difference (Travis Hollman), our most popular stories certainly spanned the vast range of innovation in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Here’s a roundup of our top 10 most-read stories on dallasinnovates.com for 2018.

1. Reinventing Ross Avenue: Retail, Restaurants, Residences Revitalizing Major Thoroughfare

The thoroughfare transects the northern edge of downtown Dallas, and renovations and new construction are transforming its place as a hub for offices, retail, and residential.

Ross Avenue is being transformed into a home of renovated buildings, new retail, and inviting restaurants. [Photos: Courtesy of respective parties]

2. Stan Deal on Why Boeing Global Services Chose Plano in its ‘Quest to Disrupt’ Aerospace

Boeing’s services business gives the global aerospace company a way “to cultivate that entrepreneurial spirit,” says CEO Stan Deal. North Texas was a natural fit for the company with its central location and proximity to established suppliers and employees.

Stan Deal is the CEO of Boeing Global Services. [Photo: Courtesy of Boeing Global Services]

3. Dallas-based Ridesharing Startup Alto Raises $13M, Plans to Launch Next Month

A hybrid of other rideshare apps and traditional black car services, Alto is based on a monthly membership fee with individual booking fees per ride.

[DI Composite: Courtesy of Alto]

4. ‘Citi’ of Irving: Firm Professionals Advance Digital Platforms, Stave Off Cyberthreats, Log 35K Volunteer Hours

Financial services company Citi is Irving’s largest single employer. The employees at the Regent and Las Colinas campuses perform over 40 different functions in technology, cards, commercial, operations and global functions. It’s the “second-largest site in the world for Citi.”

Citi Managing Director/Global Head of Product Management-Technology Mike Naggar discusses the new workplace configuration for team members in the financial firm’s Las Colinas building. Plans include clearing out roughly 1,900 cubicles to create a new space that fits the way Citi teams are innovating, with a focus on agile development. [Photo: Courtesy of Citi]

5. Dallas to Test Smart, Pedestrian-Friendly Streets Within a Year

The City of Dallas’ Department of Transportation is currently identifying five parts of town where workers will weave smart city technology into street rehab projects.

The city of Dallas could soon see streets with charging capacity built-in for electric vehicles. [Image: Courtesy of AECOM]

6. Allen Startup Perfecting 5G Tech To Power ‘Network of the Future’

Phazr’s miniature antennas will send out tiny beams that have more than 1,000 times the capacity of the existing 4G LTE cell network. Its goal is to sell the technology to the telecommunication giants, including Dallas-based AT&T.

Since Farooq Khan founded Phazr in February 2016, it has grown to 25 engineers in the Allen office and a dozen software specialists in India. [Photo: Merissa De Falcis]

7. Reports: New Skyscrapers Would Add to Dallas’ Tower Trove

Two recent articles piqued our interest on where skyscrapers—an important part of Dallas’ history— fit into the city’s present and future.

AMLI Fountain Place Residences is a 45-story tower being erected next to the newly renovated Fountain Place tower in downtown Dallas. [Rendering: Courtesy of Page Sutherland]

8. Booting Up an Immersive Experience at Plano USAA

From a virtual reality lab simulating life on board warships to a fabrication lab building the hardware behind company tech breakthroughs, USAA’s Plano campus gives employees a taste of military life while working on new ways to offer its services.

Division chief information officer and executive lead of USAA’s Plano facility Dalia Soliman-Powers stands next to a prototype mirror at the company’s innovation lab. The mirror can project pertinent information to members as they ready for their days. [Photo: Dave Moore]

9. S.M. Wright to Serve as Dallas’ First Smart City/Complete Street Test Site

A South Dallas neighborhood will undergo a makeover to make it more pedestrian friendly and incorporate new transportation technologies.

Conceptual rendering of the Corridor Gateway of the S.M. Wright Project in South Dallas. [Rendering: Courtesy, subject to further refinement]

10. Hollman Inc. CEO Launches Education Initiative, Pays for Employees and Their Families to Attend College

Travis Hollman has partnered with Irving-based North Lake College to pay for everything from tuition to textbooks.

Travis Hollman’s Higher Education & Learning Program is in its first full semester this fall. [Photo: Courtesy of Travis Hollman]

READ NEXT

Startup: A Dozen Top Stories from 2018

Social Innovation: A Dozen Top Stories from 2018

Education: A Dozen Top Stories from 2018

Invention: A Dozen Top Stories from 2018

Creative: A Dozen Top Stories from 2018

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