The unprecedented 2017 storm dumped more than 50 inches of rain on the Houston area but as rain events and flooding become the new normal, new research is needed to respond.

Latest Urban Edge Stories

The rapid urbanization of Houston: How it happened and why it matters

From 1997 to 2016, almost 187,000 football fields of impervious surfaces such as concrete were added in the Houston metro area. A sociologist and an ecologist examined what drove growth during the period, which has had critical implications for humans and the environment.

Houston freeway
Kinder Institute Research
: Oct 5, 2020
Housing, Hurricane Harvey, Urban Planning

Outdated and inaccurate, FEMA flood maps fail to fully capture risk

New risk models show nearly twice as many properties are at risk from a 100-year flood today than the government's flood maps indicate. Analysis of damage from Hurricane Harvey shows Black and Hispanic residents disproportionately experienced flooding in areas beyond FEMA’s 100-year flood zones.

photo of Houston after Hurricane Harvey in 2017
News Story
: Sep 30, 2020
Housing, Hurricane Harvey

Libraries are crucial to disaster recovery, but the coronavirus is keeping them closed

In many places, the public library often functions as a community center — a free and shared space that provides crucial social infrastructure for neighborhoods. That’s especially true when a disaster such as Hurricane Harvey hits. But what happens when a crisis like COVID-19 keeps libraries closed for five months and counting.

The Flores Neighborhood Library in Houston East End
Feature Story
: Aug 20, 2020
COVID-19 and Cities, Health, Hurricane Harvey, Urban Disparity

Latest Research

Texas Flood Registry 2020 Report

This report includes updates on Harvey’s long-term impact and recent findings about the health and housing effects of the May 2019 storms and Tropical Storm Imelda.
Report: Aug 25, 2020
Health, Housing, Hurricane Harvey

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

Community Resilience Initiatives: Building Stronger Neighborhoods in Houston

Effective efforts at the neighborhood level can be sustained and amplified by plugging into broader citywide efforts in ways that better align long-term goals and influence implementation plans at both levels.
photos related to community organization efforts to more resilient
Report: Feb 18, 2020
Governance, Housing, Hurricane Harvey, Urban Planning

Experts

Head shot of Ed Emmett

Ed Emmett

  • Senior Fellow and Professor in the Practice
  • Expertise: Transportation Policy & Community Resilience
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Bill Fulton

William Fulton

  • Director, Kinder Institute for Urban Research
  • Research Oversight Committee, Urban Data Platform
713-348-2698
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Head shot of Han Park

John Park

  • Senior Research Fellow, Development, Transportation and Placemaking, Kinder Institute for Urban Research
713-348-8127
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Kyle Shelton

  • Deputy Director, Kinder Institute for Urban Research
713-348-3683
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Head shot of Jie Wu

Jie Wu

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

Urban and Metropolitan Governance

Many of the major issues confronting Houston and other cities can be viewed as questions of governance. As part of the Urban and Metropolitan Governance program, researchers examine how Houston runs and how it can run better.