Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I don't understand how housing can increase in cost in a stable steady manner It's the density death spiral. Dense housing gets more expensive (yes, dense housing IS more expensive!), that in turn drives even more density. The only way to fix it? Promote suburbs and smaller cities. There is literally _no_ other fix.
I wonder if Texas, especially around Dallas, is settling into a pattern that'll work well. If you have enough land, that is. Instead of single big city with dense downtown surrounded by progressively less dense housing, there are multiple cores. Smaller cities, close enough that their suburbs mix. On the surface that does seem more workable than building mega-cities.
That's called a conurbation. I think it's how most of the mega-cities in the world outside of North America formed in practice. For a case with no primary core, have a look at the Ruhr area.