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

Floods vs. forever homes: What drove decisions to rebuild rather than relocate after Harvey?

After catastrophic floods—like those after Hurricane Harvey dumped several feet of rain on the Houston area four years ago—survivors generally have two options: rebuild, perhaps with the help of flood insurance or federal reimbursement programs, or relocate, perhaps by selling a damaged home or waiting for a government buyout program. A new study has found that the route people choose might have more to do with their pre-flood plans rather than the scale of the disaster itself. This has implications for how policies are designed to encourage resiliency and managed retreat. 

News Story
: Sep 1, 2021
Housing, Hurricane Harvey

From hurricanes to COVID-19, state and local governments increasingly rely upon FEMA grants

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has become increasingly relied upon to help states and local jurisdictions recover and prepare for disasters, particularly hurricanes, floods, fires and, more recently, pandemics. Proposed rule changes for the program could reduce future funding allocations, even as disasters seem to become more commonplace.

A new dataset available on the Kinder Institute Urban Data Platform allows for a deeper dive into the FEMA Public Assistance Program’s increasing role. 

News Story
: Aug 26, 2021
COVID-19 and Cities, Hurricane Harvey

How Houston plans to plant 4.6 million new trees by 2030

Trees can cool our cities and make them more resilient. Here’s a look at what is being done to grow and protect the urban forest in the Houston area.  

Feature Story
: Aug 4, 2021
Health, Hurricane Harvey, Urban Planning

Latest Research

Kinder Houston Area Survey: 2021 Results

For the past four decades, Rice University’s Kinder Houston Area Survey (KHAS) has been tracking the changing attitudes and beliefs of Harris County residents. The 2021 survey summarizes the most consequential changes and their implications for public policy initiatives going forward.
Report: May 11, 2021
COVID-19 and Cities, Demographics, Economic Development, Education, Governance, Health, Housing, Hurricane Harvey, Immigration, Placemaking, Transportation

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

Experts

Bill Fulton

William Fulton

  • Director, Kinder Institute for Urban Research
  • Research Oversight Committee, Urban Data Platform
  • Publisher, Urban Edge Blog
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Hien Le

  • Assistant Data Manager, Urban Data Platform
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John Park

  • Senior Research Fellow, Development, Transportation and Placemaking, Kinder Institute for Urban Research
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Jie Wu

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

  • Senior Research Analyst, Kinder Institute for Urban Research
713-348-3102
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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.