Urban Planning

A rush to map freedom colonies before a crucial part of history is lost

For the past six years, Andrea Roberts has been dispelling misconceptions about the history of African American placemaking in Texas through her Texas Freedom Colonies Project.

How METRO made bus service a priority and became a transit trendsetter

In 2015, METRO took its outdated bus network down to the studs and designed an entirely new regional transit system that made bus service less complicated and more frequent along the busiest routes. The results made transportation officials in cities across the country take notice.

Houston doesn’t have zoning, but there are workarounds

So, what’s the deal with zoning laws in Houston? While it’s true the city has none, it still regulates development using a complex system of codes. These codes, however, don’t govern land use.

Houston small-business survey reveals how city and state can better support manufacturers

Small businesses are only as successful as the policy, investment and regulatory environment they operate in. For small enterprises especially, flexibility and nimbleness are critical to growth. To thrive, clear pathways must exist for firms, regardless of size, to effectively scale, expand operations and further contributions to the economy, through new jobs, tax revenue streams and technological innovation.

Could cities, not national governments, be the ones to fight the climate crisis?

What happens if cities rethink their policies to combat climate change rather than waiting for nations to do so?