As rents and home prices go up, once-affordable Houston grows less accessible
Dozens of key housing indicators in Houston and Harris County shifted between 2010 and 2018, and in just the past several months the area has been hit by parallel economic and public health crises that have slowed home sales, disrupted the rental market and halted new development, making it even more difficult for many area residents to find affordable housing.
Texas economy ranks near the top for racial equality in a nation with pervasive wealth inequality
The efforts of demonstrators calling for racial justice for Black Americans has evolved into a global movement to address the economic, environmental, educational and health care disparities created by systemic racism in the United States. A new report compares and ranks the economies of all 50 states in terms of racial equality.
Land loss has plagued Black America since emancipation — is it time to look again at ‘Black commons’ and collective ownership?
Together, the bold cities of the I-10 corridor can take on the urgent issues of our time
The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare many of the disparities deeply rooted in our society. Given the technology available to us, such as data-gathering technologies, visualization systems and instantaneous communication, our ability to anticipate the future is unprecedented. Combining those resources with collective action, we can confront the issues we’re facing today and prepare for the challenging events of tomorrow.
The Urban Sun Belt: An Overview
This report documents the unique set of urban challenges Sun Belt Cities face.
Large, young and fast-growing Sun Belt metros need urban policy innovation
Large cities of the Sun Belt are getting bigger and younger faster than metro areas in other parts of the country. They also face a combination of challenges unlike those metros in other regions; however, American urban policy as we know it was created for traditional Northeastern and Midwestern cities.
They were studying urban inequalities when a pandemic that worsens disparities hit
When colleges and universities moved to online classes in response to the coronavirus pandemic, student fellows in the Kinder Institute’s Community Bridges program pivoted as well, turning their focus to the relationship between COVID-19 and inequality.
This report examines the revenue structure and service levels for Texas' three largest cities: Houston, San Antonio and Dallas.
4 things limiting Houston’s ability to generate more revenue
Houston lost $25 million in sales tax revenue in March alone because of COVID-19. But the city’s fiscal struggles existed before the coronavirus pandemic. A new Kinder Institute report compares the revenue sources and service levels among the three largest cities in Texas — Houston, Dallas and San Antonio — all of which are expected to see COVID-19-related revenue losses of between 10 and 15%. Of the three, Houston is the most constrained in its options for increasing revenue.
If you’re lucky enough to work from home, where will home be after the pandemic?
The COVID-19 crisis forced many companies to quickly transition to work from home. Now, as the economy continues to open up, businesses have to decide if they’ll go back to the onsite world of the old normal or continue with the remote-work model of the new normal. Employees of companies that choose the latter will have more options for where they live and office, including the Urban Hotel, the Suburban Workshop and the Exurban Metropolis.
How Houston can reinvent itself and be bigger and better
As the city faces an economic crisis brought by the coronavirus pandemic and the downturn in oil, it needs to recognize the enormous opportunity to make changes that are necessary to become a leading 21st-century city.
Survey: The jobs of at least 35% of Houston workers have been impacted by COVID-19
Many have lost jobs and many more have seen pay and hours cut during the pandemic. Industries that have been able to transition to work-from-home have been some of the least impacted.
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.
Snapshot taken of Houston just before pandemic shows the inequalities COVID-19 would exploit
Interviews for the 2020 Kinder Houston Area Survey were conducted just before the world was upended. The results of the survey reflect the existing disparities in health care and economics that the COVID-19 outbreak has underscored and exacerbated.
Could parklets help Houston restaurants recover from the pandemic?
As restaurants in Houston reopen and expand beyond to-go and delivery service, they’re required to provide more space between diners. In a number of cities, steps are being taken to allow businesses like restaurants to temporarily use outdoor space and parking lots to help with adequate physical distancing.
Rice University
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