Urban Planning

California Developers, Stymied by Regulation, See Promise South of the Border

San Diego developers are increasingly viewing Tijuana as the next frontier in development, banking that they'll face a less intense regulatory environment south of the border.

Director's Address - November 2015

A message from the director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research for the month of November.

The Texas Medical Center has ambitious plans for a new Houston campus

Historically, the nonprofit Texas Medical Center has existed to coordinate infrastructure issues among its members. A proposed project shows just how ambitious the TMC has become.

Advice For A Mayor: Don’t Fear Risk

Urban planner Allison Joe says she wishes mayors weren’t quite so risk-averse.

Advice For A Mayor: Urban Design Matters

Vicki Estrada, a California-based urban designer visiting Houston this week, explains what she wishes more mayors understood about cities.

The Surprising Popularity of An Urban-Themed Coloring Book

What an artist hopes to tell people about cities through an unusual medium.

Why Houston is More Congested than Dallas

Texas’s two main metro areas are similarly sized, but Houston residents deal with much more congestion than their friends in Dallas.

In Houston, Bike Sharing and Parks Form a Perfect Pair

On the East Coast, bike-sharing systems are largely used for commuting. New data reveal Houstonians are using bike-sharing to access parks.

Here Are Four Myths About Houston’s Growth

Everyone knows Houston is gentrifying quickly and real estate is hot everywhere within the Inner Loop … right?

How Salt Lake City is Reusing Its Extra-Wide Streets

An ambitious initiative is inspiring a new approach to development across the city.

Does Urban Planning Have a Race Problem?

As Ferguson’s one-year anniversary approaches, one urban planner says her profession needs to consider how it thinks about race.

Take a Glimpse At The Eerie Interior of Houston's Astrodome

The Kinder Institute takes a peek inside Houston's Astrodome, which hasn't been used on a regular basis since 1999.

Here Are The Nine Steps for Making a Better City

Shelley Poticha, director of NRDC's urban solutions program, offers her rules for what it takes to make cities green, pleasant and walkable.

Memo to Cities: Most Cyclists Aren’t Urban Hipsters

There’s a prevailing stereotype of cyclists as upwardly mobile urbanites who use bikes by choice. But what about the working poor who bike because it’s all they can afford?

Why Achieving L.A.’s Ambitious Transportation Plan is Far from Certain

The city’s new mobility plan is ambitious, but whether it ever becomes a reality remains an open question.