Vibrant communities are key to a city's vitality but economic investment can take many forms with an array of consequences.

Latest Urban Edge Stories

The return to work will determine the fate of downtowns. Is Houston ready for what’s next?

Central Houston President Bob Eury has been tracking COVID-19 case counts since the early days of the pandemic and has the spreadsheet to prove it. It was a ritual that he says helped him stay on top of the virus and how far off “normal” might be. But there may be one number he is tracking even more closely: how many of downtown’s estimated 168,000 workers are returning to the office. 

Houston Downtown Skyline Night
Interview
: Jun 10, 2021
COVID-19 and Cities, Economic Development, Placemaking

Where are we going? Remote workers, RVs and the new calculus of where we live and why

After COVID-19 lockdowns and stay-at-home mandates, anywhere with fast broadband became a viable place to call home. But for Houston natives Alex Jimenez and Hayley McSwain, the choice was to move—and keep moving.

RV on the road
Urban Edge: Jun 7, 2021
COVID-19 and Cities, Demographics, Economic Development, Sun Belt

Surveying Houston’s progressive shift through 40 years of data

Houston, a quintessentially free-enterprise, anti-government city, is increasingly recognizing the critical role of government in strengthening the safety net, expanding opportunity and building resiliency, according to the Kinder Houston Area Surveys.

Downtown Houston in 1977 and today
Kinder Institute Research
: May 27, 2021
Demographics, Economic Development, Education, Governance, Health, Housing, Hurricane Harvey, Immigration, Urban Disparity, Urban Planning

Latest Research

Troubled Fiscal Times: A Comparison of Revenue Sources and Service Levels for Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio

This report examines the revenue structure and service levels for Texas' three largest cities: Houston, San Antonio and Dallas.
Report: May 28, 2020
COVID-19 and Cities, Economic Development, Governance

Kinder Houston Area Survey: 2020 Results

For close to four decades, the Kinder Houston Area Survey has been tracking the changing attitudes and experiences of Houstonians.
Report: May 18, 2020
Demographics, Economic Development, Education, Governance, Health, Housing, Hurricane Harvey, Immigration, Placemaking, Transportation, Urban Disparity, Urban Planning

The Maker Economy: The Growing Demand of Small Urban Manufacturers in Houston

With guidance, funding, and technical support from TX/ RX Labs, the Houston office of Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and BeehiveFund/TMAC Gulf Coast, the Kinder Institute team set out to raise awareness around small urban manufacturing in Houston, culminating in this report.
Report: Nov 21, 2019
Economic Development

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Bill Fulton

William Fulton

  • Director, Kinder Institute for Urban Research
  • Research Oversight Committee, Urban Data Platform
  • Publisher, Urban Edge Blog
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Steve Sherman

Stephen Averill Sherman

  • Research Fellow, Kinder Institute for Urban Research
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Head shot of Jie Wu

Jie Wu

  • Director of Research Operations, Kinder Institute for Urban Research
  • Research Oversight Committee, Urban Data Platform
713-348-3856
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Related Initiatives

Community Bridges

A year-long, experiential learning program for undergraduate students designed to help alleviate poverty and inequality in Greater Houston.

Urban Development, Transportation and Placemaking

The Urban Development, Transportation and Placemaking program investigates issues associated with the growth and development in Houston on both a large and small scale.