Urban Planning

Why Transit Oriented Development Doesn’t Need Transit

And why that represents a major opportunity for urbanist advocates.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.