Economic Development

Ten Across Summit: The Future is Here

The Ten Across Summit will convene a premier group of leaders and experts to discuss important issues such as water, energy, infrastructure, equity, democracy and risk.

With hybrid work here to stay, downtown Houston is looking for office conversion candidates

With the rise of a hybrid and remote workforce as a result of COVID-19, developers are looking for ways to be less reliant on office leases to keep people downtown.

Harris County is learning how to put billions in potential assets to better use

Harris County will soon have, for the first time, a full picture of its public wealth—the commercial value of all government-owned assets, from land to buildings to infrastructure—as well as a plan to start putting this wealth to work toward community development and economic growth.

It is time to recognize the Rio Grande Valley as a rising borderland metropolis

The Rio Grande Valley (RGV), or el Valle del Rio Bravo as it is known in Mexico, is often considered a far-flung collection of small-town border communities. As such, it remains largely unknown to the rest of the U.S., except when cited as one of the poorest areas in the country alongside Middle Appalachia or the Lower Mississippi Delta.

Kinder Houston Area Survey: 2022 Results

The 41st Kinder Houston Area Survey shares Houstonians’ views on the economy, crime, the pandemic and other issues related to the city’s demographic transformations.

Kinder Institute Forum: Richard Florida

Leading urbanist Richard Florida discusses the effect COVID-19 and its related economic, fiscal, social and political fallout have had on cities. He also outlines how post-pandemic, cities can rebuild to be more resilient and equitable.

Kinder Institute Lunch-Out 2020

Stephen Klineberg presents the findings from the 39th Kinder Houston Area Survey. The event also honors Rev. William A. Lawson with the 2020 Stephen L. Klineberg Award for more than 60 years of service to Houston and its people.

Urban Reads: Stephen L. Klineberg

Kinder Institute Founding Director Stephen Klineberg talks with Director Bill Fulton about his new book, which tracks the progress of Houston during almost four decades of remarkable economic, demographic and technological change.

The Metropolitan State of Texas: Securing the State's Prosperity and Competitiveness

The LBJ Urban Lab at The University of Texas at Austin, the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University and the George W. Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative convened the state's top urban policy researchers for a summit addressing the most important issues in Texas cities: economic development, land use, housing, infrastructure and transportation.

Kinder Institute Lunch-Out 2021

The Kinder Institute held its 2021 annual luncheon on Tuesday, May 11 as a virtual Lunch-Out. Guests from Houston and around the world gathered online to hear Stephen Klineberg and other institute leaders share the findings from the 40th Kinder Houston Area Survey, and discuss key aspects of the institute’s transformative efforts in response to the challenges of the pandemic.

Urban Reads: The Texas Triangle: An Emerging Power in the Global Economy

This online discussion explores the importance of the Texas Triangle, what makes it unique and its implications for Texas' economic future.

Kinder Institute Forum: Frederick Wherry

Professor Frederick Wherry, director of the Dignity and Debt Network, explains how credit visibility, credit scoring, and consumer credit markets serve as arenas for struggle over dignity and belonging.

Kinder Institute Luncheon 2022

After two years of virtual events, the 2022 Kinder Institute Luncheon will once again be one of Houston’s most insightful gatherings of business and community leaders!

How Dallas-Fort Worth is poised to dominate America’s heartland

There’s an adage in Texas about a braggart being someone who’s “all hat and no cattle.” But you can’t say that about “Big D,” rapidly emerging as the de facto capital of the American Heartland.

Cities struggle to regain employment levels seen prior to the pandemic

The jobs recovery is coming along haltingly, and it has been particularly sluggish for the nation’s biggest cities. Even with historic levels of new job openings, it might take longer for cities to adapt to the new dynamics of the post-2020 (we won't call it post-pandemic) economy.