Urban Planning

America’s Highways are Crumbling. Is That a Bad Thing?

Former Milwaukee mayor urges cities to re-think the urban highway and focus on the street grid.

Forget What You’ve Heard, Houston Really Does Have Zoning (Sort Of)

Space City has a reputation for being the only big American city without zoning. That reputation is undeserved.

How Can We Improve Rice Village? Here Are Four Options

The Houston dining and retail destination is sorely in need of an upgrade. A few steps would go a long way.

You wouldn’t know it, but Rice Village has plenty of parking

Houstonians knows the stress of driving through the shopping district. We think there’s a better way to fix its parking crunch.

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.

To Understand Houston's New Bus Network, Just Look at the 27 Route

The 27 route runs every 15 minutes, every day, for 19 hours a day. Similar routes will help make transit more viable option for Houstonians.

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.

A streetcar named disaster? Debate ensues as latest project debuts

Charlotte’s new streetcar system had a rough first week as it finds itself at the center of a broader discussion about the transportation mode

How to Get Your City Walking, DIY-Style

North Carolina-startup offers communities a fast and inexpensive way to encourage pedestrians to explore

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.