Research
Houston METRORail Human Factors Safety Analysis
Concern over METRORail light rail vehicles collisions with cars, pedestrians, and motorists led the Kinder Institute to fund Rice Human Factors researchers to conduct a safety analysis of the rail line.
A Bottom-Up Infrastructure Strategy for American Renewal
This report identifies infrastructure priorities identified by local and regional leaders around the nation. Conclusions provide an important set of guideposts about priorities the new administration should take into account in crafting a national infrastructure strategy.
The 2020 State of Housing in Harris County and Houston
This first State of Housing report compares how dozens of key housing indicators in Harris County and Houston have shifted between 2010 and 2018.
Where Affordable Housing and Transportation Meet in Houston
While local decision-makers and individuals tend to view housing and transportation separately, effectively addressing affordability for Houstonians means considering housing and transportation expenses together.
Near Northside: Safe Streets, Safe Communities
This report is the second in a series aimed to aid efforts to improve street safety in Houston. The first report (Safe Streets, Safe Communities) is linked below.
Transit Adjacent Development and Neighborhood Change in Houston
This study explores how land use has changed between 2010 and 2016 in transit adjacent development (TAD) areas of Harris County, defined as census block groups within one mile of light rail stations, transit centers, and Park & Ride locations.
Safe Streets, Safe Communities: Walking and Biking Infrastructure in Gulfton
During the summer and fall of 2018, an audit was done on the Gulfton area's streets and sidewalks and these are the results.
Identifying Latent Transit Ridership
This report shows which parts of Houston METRO's service area may have untapped ridership.
While Houston continues to claim to be an affordable city, findings show that a lack of public transportation is making living in the city more difficult to access jobs in some areas.
This report provides a more in-depth understanding of critical transportation safety issues, highlights key issues and can be used to prioritize street safety improvements.
From Close Calls to Crashes: Infrastructure Priorities to Improve Safety For People on Bikes
This report focuses on how information about daily trips can be used to improve transportation safety for bicyclists.
This dashboard uses subdivision plat data to analyze the urban growth of Harris and Fort Bend counties between 1950 and 2015.
Learning from Close Calls: A Glimpse Into Near-Miss Experiences
A report analyzing the near-misses of more than 100 cyclists, walkers and public transit users.
Dangerous Crossings: The Links Between Intersections and Crashes in Houston
A report about the relationship between intersections and crashes in Houston.
Filling Potholes: Analyzing the City of Houston's Response
This report tracks the City of Houston's progress in filling potholes.
Urban Edge
Third Ward EV shuttle offers a way to close the first-and-last-mile gap in transit
Third Ward residents have recently gained increased access to grocery stores, health care, public transit and other necessities, thanks to an electric vehicle shuttle service that transports residents at no cost. It is part of a 12-week pilot program that could help close a critical transportation gap in Houston communities facing transit disadvantages and low vehicle ownership.
Houston is a city for cars today, but that doesn’t mean it has to be one in the future. In a new book, “Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities”, Veronica O. Davis makes the case that reorienting communities toward people rather than automobiles is in the hands of everyday people as well as policymakers.
Highways, flooding and sprawl: How Houston could have a bigger say in the region's future
Back in 2021, the Houston region's governing council offered up a final resolution of support for the contentious I-45 expansion project. The measure passed 14-11, with suburban members narrowly outvoting those representing Houston and Harris County. The vote marked an episode of stark division and intense scrutiny for the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC). It also raised questions about regional governance and how the Houston area’s urban and suburban populations should be represented.
Houston’s moment for transit-oriented development may have finally arrived
This week, the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County is expected to vote on an update to the agency’s development policies—a key step as the agency fundamentally rethinks how it can influence the urban fabric of Houston so that more people can live in proximity to public transit.
Metro seeks to bring inclusive, transit-oriented development to north Houston
After receiving a new federal grant to explore the potential for transit-oriented development at the Tidwell Transit Center in north Houston, Metro is now phasing into an “intense and aggressive public involvement strategy” for the site.
Events
Technology historian Peter Norton discusses his book, "Autonorama: The Illusory Promise of High-Tech Driving."
Kinder Institute Forum: Shin-pei Tsay
Shin-pei Tsay is the global head of cities and transportation policy at Uber. Her experience converges at the intersection of design, policy and governance to transform the built environment, with a focus on sustainable and inclusive transportation.
Kinder Institute Forum: Donald Shoup
Donald Shoup, professor of urban planning at the University of California, discusses the high costs associated with parking, as well as market-based parking reforms that can improve urban metro areas both economically and environmentally.
Houston on the Front Lines of Sprawl
In this talk, William Fulton discusses Houston as a prototypical, sprawling Sun Belt city.
The Metropolitan State of Texas: Securing the State's Prosperity and Competitiveness
The LBJ Urban Lab at The University of Texas at Austin, the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University and the George W. Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative convened the state's top urban policy researchers for a summit addressing the most important issues in Texas cities: economic development, land use, housing, infrastructure and transportation.
Journalist Angie Schmitt discusses her new book, "Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America."
Kinder Institute Forum: Tamika L. Butler
A national expert and speaker on issues related to the built environment and equity, Tamika L. Butler discusses institutional oppression, the importance of inclusive urban design, and how to make transportation and public spaces more equitable.
The Urban Sun Belt: Setting The Agenda
This webinar explores findings from a report from the Kinder Institute on the urban Sun Belt – covering such topics as demographic change, the economy, housing, and sprawl. A panel discussion follows the presentation
Webinar: Linking Quality Transportation and Affordable Housing
This webinar by LINK Houston and the Kinder Institute for Urban Research explores the nexus between transit and housing.
Transit expert Steven Higashide discusses how to plan, run and win the fight for effective transit.
Experts discuss how technology, policy and transportation interact, and how they can be used to develop a city that functions better for all communities.
Urban Reads: I-45 Meets the Walkable City
Following a presentation on what the I-45 freeway expansion means for Houston, city planner and urban designer Jeff Speck talks with Kinder Institute Director Bill Fulton.
Physical Address
Rice University
Kraft Hall
6100 Main Street, Suite 305
Houston, TX 77005-1892