Urban Planning

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.

How are parks created in Houston and why Houston isn't meeting its park goal

As the city grew, planners and developers didn't initially plan to embrace the landscape, but rather cover it with a pavement jungle.

PARK(ing) Day Returns to Houston, After Hurricane Harvey Cancellation Last Year

The annual event returned this week for the fourth year.

New Report Documents Stages of Gentrification in Austin

Commissioned by the city council, a recent report considers which neighborhoods are most vulnerable to gentrification and which have already felt its impact.

Study: Northern Third Ward vs. Gentrification

In Houston's Third Ward, organizing against gentrification isn't just about property and displacement. It's also about building community capacity.

How the Walkable Places Committee Plans to Make Houston More Pedestrian Friendly

The Houston Walkable Places Committee aims to make the Bayou City a more pedestrian-friendly city one new construction at a time.

Urban Review: How To Comment on Proposed Policy, Making Texas Roads Safer and Protecting Aretha Franklin's Childhood Home

This week, a handy how-to guide on submitting comments on federal proposals, plus a call out to do just that at the state level to support safer roads in Texas and a look at a new park in Tulsa, an existing Dodger Stadium connection and more.