Urban Edge

Sharp insights. Smart solutions. Better cities.

Houston needs improving. Are Houstonians really willing to pay for it?

From parks to police to garbage pickup, our surveys have tapped into a surprising level of support for raising revenues to help the city of Houston improve services and raise the quality of life across the city. What should we make of that? Are Houstonians really willing to pay more for better local government?

As Whitmire sets his agenda, surveys show Houstonians have a few ideas

With John Whitmire taking the helm of the city of Houston, residents made it clear their top priorities for the new mayor are reducing crime, improving infrastructure and alleviating the high cost of housing. For his part, Whitmire addressed most of these issues during his campaign, setting lofty goals for his administration — but now it’s up to him and a new City Council to begin delivering.

10 in 2023: Top stories from the Urban Edge

Housing costs, the economy, increasing demands on income and concerns about the environment weighed on the minds of Urban Edge readers in 2023.

With eviction rates high in Houston, tenants face a legal representation vacuum

The burden that the COVID-19 pandemic placed on renters helped lead to the founding of the Eviction Defense Coalition in March 2020. The member institutions, which operate in Harris County and Houston, continue to work in partnership while also arriving at similar but separate conclusions about the state of evictions in Houston.

Is buying a home easier or harder in Houston? Here’s how it compares to other Texas metros

By many accounts, the city of Houston has long been considered an affordable place to buy a home. But how well does it stack up against its peers in Texas? One way to look at this is to compare housing costs relative to income.

'I Am Barbara Jordan': Houston honors hometown political icon

Before she became a national figure, political leader and University of Texas professor, Barbara Jordan was born and raised in Houston’s Fifth Ward. There was a time, however, when Houston — a deeply segregated city — could have lost the chance to claim her.

Migrants from other states more likely to call Texas their new home

In 2022, millions of Americans were on the move from one state to another. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas was the top destination in the country.

Houston ISD centralizing wraparound support services for students and their families at new Sunrise Centers

The Houston Independent School District bolstered its wraparound services with the opening of seven Sunrise Centers, which assist with a variety of noninstructional needs, including after-school care, clothing, enrichment activities, food, health care, school supplies and other resources.

After 40 years of encouraging play, SPARK wants to eliminate Houston’s park deserts

In 1983, Houston’s Green Ribbon Commission reported that the city needed an additional 5,000 acres of greenspace to compete with the parks and recreation facilities in other U.S. cities. To meet this challenge, the report suggested creating community parks on public school grounds, which led to the SPARK School Park Program.

National climate report features Kinder Institute research on Harris County disasters

A new comprehensive federal report documenting the effects of climate change across the country includes Kinder Institute research to bring attention to Harris County’s vulnerabilities.