American cities are caught in a cycle that goes something like this: Expand roads to mitigate gridlock, which encourages more people to drive, which produces more congestion, which is addressed by expanding roads, which encourages more people to drive and on it goes. According to a new report, the continual expansion of roads only treats a symptom — congestion — and not the disease — sprawl.
But what if we’re focusing on the wrong thing?
Near Northside residents’ perception of safety and the quality of streets and sidewalks are assessed in a pair of new reports from the Kinder Institute. The findings show subpar infrastructure and fears of crime and cars are endangering many in the neighborhood.
RESEARCH:
TRANSPORTATION | SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DISPARITY
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.
In 2015, METRO took its outdated bus network down to the studs and designed an entirely new regional transit system that made bus service less complicated and more frequent along the busiest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.
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.
