Boom likely to resume but leaders need to square disparities in the Texas Triangle
Despite the current coronavirus-driven economic slowdown and drop in oil prices, Houston continues to be one of the fastest-growing and most prosperous metropolitan areas in America. The metro area continues to add about 100,000 residents annually and has a gross domestic product of a half-trillion dollars per year.
How buses can drive equity and success in cities — and even help kill zombie ideas
Ridership in most major metropolitan areas of the U.S. has been steadily declining in recent years. And transit experts worry about the trend’s impact on cities — economically and socially. But when you improve buses, as the experience in Houston and in so many other places shows, ridership and relevancy increase.
5 surprising things I learned analyzing property tax protest data
It’s a tough time of year for homeowners in Houston. In November, a letter arrives from the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector with next year’s property tax bill. Some people pay their taxes every month with their mortgage. Others, like me, end up writing a big check in January.
Big Texas cities are rapidly gentrifying, but none as fast as Houston
Since the turn of the century, many neighborhoods in or near the heart of Houston and the state’s other large metropolitan areas — Dallas, San Antonio and Austin — have been transformed by the ongoing inflow of affluence. A change better known as gentrification.
How Houston has changed — and stayed the same — in the past 10 years
It’s been a decade since the Kinder Institute for Urban Research was formed at Rice University. During that time, a lot has changed at the institute and in the Houston metropolitan area. In 2020, the Urban Edge will feature a number of stories related to the 10-year anniversary of the institute. To kick things off, let's compare the Houston area of 2010 with the city today.
Understanding Houston: Rice professor chronicles the oral history of city's Asian American community
This is a part of a series connected to our partnership with the Greater Houston Community Foundation's regional project Understanding Houston. This story, and others, also appears on the Understanding Houston website.
2019’s most-popular stories: Dockless scooters, the I-45 expansion and more
The most-popular Urban Edge stories from the past year ranged in topic from dockless scooters and the growth rate of Dallas to the unequal distribution of trees in the city and the Opportunity Zone program. But the most popular topic of 2019 was TxDOT’s enormous I-45 expansion plan.
Is development fueled by transit driving residents out in some areas?
Extensions of light rail service in areas with easy access to Houston’s major job centers have brought residential and commercial development to those areas. Researchers at the Kinder Institute wanted to find out if and how transit investments impact patterns of gentrification in the city.
Understanding Houston: First-generation Houstonian makes her voice heard through voting
This is a part of a series connected to our partnership with the Greater Houston Community Foundation's regional project Understanding Houston. This story, and others, also appears on the Understanding Houston website.
As overall job growth surges, outlook for low-wage workers darkens
Meet America's low-wage workforce: 53 million hard-working people struggling to keep their heads above water no matter what they do.
Sunnyside survey shows neighborhood's social fabric is strong
Results from the recently released Sunnyside Strong survey reveal promising potential for revitalizing the predominantly African-American neighborhoods of Sunnyside and South Park in south-central Houston; though there’s still work to be done.
Understanding Houston: 'It's like I can't survive,' temporarily-homeless Houstonian says
This is a part of a series connected to our partnership with the Greater Houston Community Foundation's regional project Understanding Houston. This story, and others, also appears on the Understanding Houston website.
Recent research suggests suburbanites and urbanites may live far more similar lifestyles than they realize.
How suburbs are turning into 'hipsturbias' to cater to millennials
Hipsters + Suburbs = Hipsturbias
A path forward for social mobility
Almost a year since the Opportunity Atlas was launched, what have we learned about social mobility and how are we moving forward?
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