Where the individual and policy collide, our health research and coverage seeks to document and improve.

Latest Urban Edge Stories

Who owns the single-family rentals and what do we know about them?

A lot of the rent houses owned by real estate investment trusts — or REITs — are located in unincorporated parts of Harris County and municipal utility districts (MUDs) that have been hit hardest by foreclosures and flooding. Many of them are connected to local and national homebuilders. 

Kinder Institute Research
: Aug 3, 2021
Demographics, Health, Housing, Hurricane Harvey

Disaster preparedness takes more than an infographic

Helping our most vulnerable neighbors weather the toughest storms requires hard work and commitment before, during and after crises strike. 

Perspective
: Jul 28, 2021
Health, Hurricane Harvey

Houston isn’t the best, but it’s one of the greatest, according to the rankings

Posts about where Houston and other Texas metros are ranked on lists of best and worst places for you-name-it routinely perform well on this blog. These lists range from happiest and safest cities to best cities for staycations, foodies and working from home. Today, we’re kicking off a new feature focused on rankings and Houston’s place on them. 

Urban Edge: Jul 22, 2021
Health, Housing, Urban Disparity, Urban Planning

Latest Research

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

Challenges of Social Sector Systemic Collaborations: What's Cookin' in Houston's Food Insecurity Space?

In this study, we seek to understand the nature of collaborations between organizations working in the food insecurity and food desert social spaces in Houston.
Food
Report: Mar 13, 2019
Health, Urban Disparity

Experts

Katherine B. Ensor

Katherine Bennett Ensor

  • Kinder Fellow
  • Director, Kinder Institute Urban Data Platform
  • Noah G. Harding Professor of Statistics
  • Rice University
713-348-4132
Profile
Head shot of Loren Raun

Loren Hopkins

  • Kinder Fellow
  • Chief Environmental Science Officer, Houston Health Department
  • Professor in the Practice, Statistics, Rice University
Profile
Head shot of Rachel Kimbro

Rachel Kimbro

  • Dean, School of Social Sciences Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences
  • Kinder Fellow
  • Professor of Sociology
  • Founding Director, Kinder Institute Urban Health Program
  • Rice University
713-348-4265
Profile
Head shot of Tony Brown

Tony N. Brown

  • Kinder Fellow
  • Professor of Sociology, Rice University
  • Associate Director, Kinder Institute’s Urban Health Program
  • Founding Director, Racism and Racial Experiences (RARE) Workgroup
713-348-3242
Profile

Related Initiatives

Urban Health Program

The program facilitates research, education and community outreach on urban health issues, broadly defined. It also brings together faculty and community affiliates from institutions across the Houston area who focus on the social determinants of health.