Urban Planning

Phil Washington Championed Public-Private Partnerships in Denver. Will it Work in L.A.?

Metro’s new transit chief faces the daunting task of building 100 miles of transit. Lucky for Angelinos, he’s done it before.

Bike Battles: Why We Debate Who Owns the Road

A new book explains the fascinating history of American bicyclists and makes the case for why that history still matters.

Drowning in Data, Cities Need Help

For most of human history, urban planners have had to do their jobs with only the dimmest understanding of what’s going on. Now they have more information than they can handle.

Take a Trip Inside Houston's Astrodome Archives

Libraries are documenting mementos and stories about the iconic stadium so it will live on – even if it’s demolished.

What we can do by 2022

Houston’s next mayor will have to address the city’s mobility challenges. Here’s where he can start.

Rice Village: Parking, Management and the Built Environment

The following report offers an analysis of three major issues facing Rice Village — parking, management and infrastructure.

The Life and Death of the Urban Highway

Houston isn’t alone. A growing number of cities are tearing down infrastructure that cuts through downtown.

OKC Mayor urges cities to have “high standards”

Quality-of-life, he argues, is the most effective economic development tool a place can have.

Houston debuts traffic box “mini-murals”

Program aims to bring public art to areas outside of the city core

How Oklahoma City's mayor got his city off "the list"

Mick Cornett to discuss the link between urban planning and public health June 30.

‘Mixed-use’ is popular, but what does it mean?

Developers say as projects take hold in the suburbs, the term may need an updated definition.

Architecture firm explores how to 3D-print houses

Gensler, the San Francisco-based design and architecture firm, says it’s working with a Chinese company to explore the possibility of producing homes using massive 3D-printers.

Can a building’s design promote healthy lifestyles?

For more than a decade, developers competed to brand their buildings as “green,” betting that tenants would pay a premium for a structure with energy-efficient features that could save money and or garner positive PR.

Q&A with Rose Gowen: How Brownsville is fighting public obesity and making a more vibrant city

Rose Gowen is a city commissioner and OB-GYN in Brownsville, a city of 180,000 that sits just north of the Texas-Mexico border. The greater Brownsville area has the highest poverty rate in the country – 35 percent – which has contributed to an obesity and diabetes epidemic. Gowen spoke with the Kinder Institute’s Ryan Holeywell about how the city is trying to combat a public health crisis. The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Can you design a city by playing with toys? James Rojas thinks so.

Most adults aren’t interested in playing with toys. James Rojas hopes to change their minds. After all, he says, the future of their cities might depend on it.