Urban Planning

These Are Houston's Most Pedestrian-Friendly Places

Houston's Walkable Places Committee names their favorite places in the Bayou City to take a stroll.

Excerpt: Can A Market-Oriented City Also Be Inclusive?

In a new chapter, Kinder Institute Director Bill Fulton considers Houston's opportunities and challenges when it comes to creating a truly inclusive city.

Q+A: The Rising Risks of Urban Flooding

From existing data sources to flood mitigation practices, cities need to step up to respond to a national challenge.

These are the many things considered in designing a park for Houston and how you can have a say

Houston's goal is to have a park within a half mile or 10-minute walk for residents and once the land is acquired, the designing process begins.

Urban Review: Return of Rent Control, Devaluing Homes in Majority Black Neighborhoods and Guerrilla Art in Transit

This week, an artist improves bus stops in Los Angeles, new insights into how undervalued homes in majority black neighborhoods are and a reflection on the promise and pitfalls of rent control.

The Unstudied Neighborhood

The bulk of sociological research and policies derived from it focuses on just a small slice of cities. That's a problem.

How Houston's Denver Harbor Used A Land-Use Tool To Curb Gentrification

Without citywide zoning, Houston communities must know their way around available land-use tools to shape their fates.

Sales Tax Could be the Key to Alleviate Revenue Shortfalls

Government entities in the Greater Houston region are increasingly struggling to provide urban-level services to all residents, particularly those in unincorporated suburban areas. Raising or allowing high-growth urban counties to collect sales tax could improve the provision of public services to all residents.

Portland Versus Houston: Density, Housing and Affordability

The two cities are viewed as regulatory opposites when it comes to housing, but how are they faring with different approaches?

Carol Coletta Pushes Citizens to Better Engage Their Communities to Increase Neighborly Trust

The phrase, "You can't feel 'em, if you can't see 'em," frames her discussion of how we all need to better connect with our neighbors.

Governing A Growing Region: Addressing Challenges of Service Provision and Development in Houston

This report takes a regional view to find major issues with the way our growth is governed.

Special Districts Helped Form Houston. But the Patchwork of Governments Also Presents A Challenge Going Forward.

A patchwork of cities, counties, municipal utility districts and other jurisdictions across the region has created barriers to long-term regional prosperity, according to a new report.

In Houston Neighborhood Short on Parks, A Community Makes Its Own

Through building a park for the community, the dense, diverse Gulfton neighborhood finds ways to come together.

Sharing Space in the Modern City

OffCite | Debates about the "sharing economy" tap into fundamental questions about how we share space in a city.

Amid Rising Risks, Is Houston Doing Enough to Be Resilient?

The largest threat to Houston's economy is flooding, but that's not the norm around the world.