In jeans and a navy blazer — Texas fancy — Tommy Mapp faced the city council with a clear message: Princeton is growing faster than it can keep up.
“We’re growing much faster than what was anticipated or planned for,” Director of Public Works Tommy Mapp told Princeton council members during a council meeting on Sept. 23, 2024. He’s right.
Water, wastewater, roads and police facilities are buckling under the weight of a population boom fueled by new residential development.
Mapp’s recommendation of a temporary moratorium on new residential development would give Princeton the chance to pause and reassess its growth. Addressing the seven council members during his presentation, Mapp explained that the measure would allow the city to evaluate where development is happening, how it’s unfolding and how to better plan for the future.
“If the development continues at the rate that it is currently, we’re going to be constantly designing for something that we’re chasing,” said Mapp.
In 1990, Princeton’s population was a sleepy 2,321 — ten years later, it was 3,477. In the 2010 Census, the population had reached 6,924. As of last year, that population had grown to 28,027. And by the year 2039, the population of Princeton is projected to reach at least 110,000 people, with no end in sight.
That evening, the council unanimously passed a temporary moratorium on issuing new development permits, though projects that have already been approved will continue. The original moratorium period was 120 days; then, the council extended it on January 13. Initially, the extension was for 150 days, but a council member suggested adding 30 more days for a total of 180 days. “We’re not going to solve the world’s problems in 150 days,” Mapp said. “But we can come up with a plan to solve those problems.”
Princeton’s growing pains are part of a larger trend reshaping North Texas. In May 2024, the Census Bureau named the city one of the fastest-growing in the country, with a 22.3 percent population surge. Nearby Celina topped the list with 26.6 percent, followed by Anna, Prosper and Forney — each swelling by double digits.
“During the moratorium period, we are considering future growth needs,” Mapp told me several weeks after the moratorium was approved. “We’re using growth rate data to determine our infrastructure needs and ensure scalability to meet potential service demand.”
The boom shows no signs of slowing. The question now is whether Princeton can catch up and if other Collin County cities are going to face similar issues.
North Texas isn’t just growing — it’s transforming. As the nation’s fastest-growing region, it’s attracting new residents, businesses and investment at a breakneck pace — with Collin County at the center.
The county’s population climbed from 1.06 million in 2020 to an estimated 1.2 million in 2024 — nearly 145,000 new faces in just four years. By 2060, that number is expected to double, topping 2.4 million.
The future of North Texas isn’t coming — it’s already here.
Drive north through Frisco and Prosper, and you’ll hit Celina — a town where wraparound porches, mom-and-pop shops and church steeples still give off a small-town charm. But beneath the quaint surface, its population skyrocketed 157 percent in the past three years, making it one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. Anywhere else, this would be extraordinary. But this isn’t anywhere else. This is Collin County.
With more than 43,000 residents — and 800 more arriving every month — Celina is facing the same problems as numerous cities across the region. But nowhere is the pressure more intense than inside its classrooms.
Celina ISD is betting big on the future with a bold $2.295 billion bond proposal. If approved by voters this spring, sometime shortly after this magazine hits the printer, the bond would fund 11 new schools — seven elementary schools, two junior high schools, an early childhood school and one new high school.
The plan comes as the district scrambles to keep up with surging enrollment. For the 2024-2025 school year, Celina ISD welcomed 838 more students than the year before, bringing total enrollment to 5,300. That number is expected to double in five years — and quadruple in the next decade.
Several campuses are already near capacity. Without new schools, district officials say every campus will exceed its limits within three years.
In February, the Celina ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously to call for a bond election to decide on the proposal, pitching it as a lifeline for the district’s future. Now, it’s up to voters to determine whether the city’s next chapter will be ready for the growth that’s already knocking at its door.
It’s not just individual cities feeling the pressure. With Texas experiencing significant population growth, the entire state faces a mounting strain on its infrastructure.
“The infrastructure supports the population by enabling economic activity and ensuring the essential needs of people are met,” Texas state demographer Lloyd B. Potter tells me via email. “As the population grows, infrastructure demands increase. With rapid population growth — generally in places with high net in-migration — infrastructure development is usually behind because most infrastructure takes time to plan and build.”
The rapid influx of new residents is placing heightened demands on water supplies, electricity generation and transportation systems. Water supply remains one of the most pressing concerns for the state. Potter notes that the demand for water has never been greater and is consistently increasing due to both population growth and a thriving economy. Large mixed-use developments, which have become common in many Texas cities, exacerbate the issue by further increasing water demand. And that’s not counting any challenges posed by large lagoon living developments.
The regional planning group for most of North Texas, including Collin County, approved a draft of its 2026 water plan in February, highlighting the impending need for more water and the billions of dollars required to meet demand. Every five years, the Texas Water Development Board’s groups create plans that outline water needs.
Dry-year water demand is projected to hit 1.9 million acre-feet by 2030 and over 3 million by 2080, leaving a 1.3 million acre-foot shortfall without action. Region C, which includes Collin County, plans to boost supply by 1.89 million acre-feet through conservation, reuse, new pipelines and construction projects.
Each regional planning group is required to hold at least one public meeting before submitting the final version of its plans in late October 2025. The finalized regional plans will then be included in the 2027 State Water Plan. An accelerated implementation of these plans will be necessary to meet the rising demand, Potter explains.
Along with water, electricity generation is another critical issue facing Texas. The state’s power grid has faced scrutiny in recent years, and rapid population growth is making it harder to maintain a steady supply. According to Potter, “The State has challenges in generating electricity when demands reach close to capacity.” Expanding electricity generation and distribution capacity will be key to avoiding outages and ensuring residents have reliable power.
Transportation infrastructure is also under pressure, particularly in rapidly growing regions such as North Texas. These cities are struggling to ensure road networks can keep pace with the increasing number of residents. The Texas Department of Transportation is investing in projects aimed at reducing congestion and expanding capacity, but many areas continue to feel the strain.
One potential solution for managing infrastructure needs is limiting new development. As in Princeton, a moratorium on new residential housing due to water supply concerns could temporarily help. However, Potter believes it’s unlikely the state will impose such measures on a larger scale.
“Local areas that do not have capacity to provide water can and, as we’ve seen, will limit development that would result in exceeding capacity,” Potter predicts.
But what about the cities that aren’t feeling the strain of growth? How did they avoid it? The truth is, they didn’t — they simply adapted and now have a better understanding of what works for them.
“Celina is retelling the Frisco story 20 years later,” said Frisco mayor Jeff Cheney during the annual Group One Frisco Forecast at the Stonebriar Country Club. As he pointed to a slide illuminated by a red laser, the rapid growth in Celina was clear. In 2025, Celina issued 2,895 single-family permits, the highest in Collin County. By comparison, Frisco issued 1,285, highlighting a significant difference. However, Frisco finds itself in a different phase of development. Celina might be short on schools, but Frisco, decades later in development, doesn’t have enough kids to fill classrooms. The city is headed toward full build-out, with 16 percent of its land remaining undeveloped. That doesn’t mean Frisco is slowing down — anything but.
Projects like Fields, developed by Fehmi Karahan, show that growth can continue without overburdening city resources. Fields has the potential to include up to 14,500 residential units, consisting of a mix of single-family homes, condos, townhomes and urban apartments. With an estimated 2.5 people per residence, this could lead to a population of 30,000 to 36,000 residents living in Fields.
Karahan, standing in his office with a green smoothie in hand, describes his approach as “smart growth.” This strategy is key to making large-scale projects like Fields, which is valued at over $10 billion, an asset to the city’s infrastructure rather than a drain on it. A major part of this approach is the development of better road systems for Frisco residents.
“They didn’t have Legacy — it stopped at Panther Creek,” Karahan explains. “You couldn’t get to 380, so we built Legacy Drive from Panther Creek to the north.”
Beyond road improvements, Karahan’s smart growth vision also prioritizes green space. While Frisco mandates that all developments include at least 10 percent green space, Karahan’s team has gone much further. “In our case, we not only exceeded the requirement, we provided much more,” he says. “Nearly one-third of our land — that massive land — is open area.”
Fields is also generating a significant number of job opportunities, extending far beyond the construction jobs created during the development process. As the project progresses, Fields, along with Fields West — the mixed-use part of the development — is positioned to become a central hub for both residential and professional activity.
“We can also accommodate over 10 million square feet of office development,” Karahan says. “If that materializes, we are talking about tens of thousands of people working at Fields.” The integration of residential, commercial and office spaces promises to create a dynamic community where people can both live and work, driving sustainable, long-term economic growth in the area.
The success of Frisco is evident in developments like Fields, which stand as a testament to the city’s growth and vitality. However, one challenge Frisco is now addressing doesn’t stem from strained infrastructure or a rapidly growing population — it’s the question of how the city will retain its residents.
Before Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Tammy Meinershagen ran for office in Frisco, she faced a personal dilemma: whether to stay or leave. “I asked myself, does Frisco actually have what I’m looking for?” she reflects. While she knew she wanted to stay as long as her children were in the school district, she considered what her family’s future would look like once her kids were off to college.
“It was another inflection point for me: do I actually leave, or do I try to help Frisco have what I need so that I can stay, and then, consequently, will also allow other people to stay?” Meinershagen explains.
Since 2022, Meinershagen has been a key player in shaping Frisco’s future, ensuring the city becomes a place where residents want to remain for the long term. Yes, the city has great schools, it’s one of the safest places in the county and there are plenty of opportunities for residents to raise their families. But what about after?
“We’ve done a great job of creating a city where people do live and work and play, and then, when they have their kids leave for college — like a lot of our friends — they do not stay in Frisco.”
The city’s transformation is part of a broader effort to elevate Frisco to the next level. Frisco has the infrastructure that attracts people to come and raise a family, but now, the city wants them to stay. It’s for this reason that Frisco is investing in multimillion-dollar parks and creating spaces for residents to enjoy at any stage of their lives.
The city has long been known for its beautiful golf courses, but the arrival of the PGA of America headquarters brings with it world-class courses. While arts and culture have played a role in the city’s identity, the potential addition of Broadway productions at the proposed Frisco Center for the Arts promises to take the local cultural scene to new heights. By consistently raising the bar, Frisco is creating a city where residents want to stay long into their golden years.
Yet, as Mayor Cheney pointed out, not every community in Collin County is doing the same. Cities like Anna, Princeton, Prosper and Celina depend on more than just rooftops. They must build the infrastructure, amenities and services that transform fast-growing towns into thriving communities — and that takes thoughtful planning and investment.
The challenge is significant, but with it comes the opportunity to shape a future in which every community can not only manage growth — but thrive. The question is no longer whether Collin County will adapt to the surge, but how it will seize this moment to create a more livable and resilient region for 2025 and beyond.
This article was originally published in Local Profile's May/June issue. Read more here.
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