Public Health

Urban Edge explains: The decennial census and why it’s more important than ever

For those who haven’t completed the ongoing 2020 Census, an important reason to respond online, by phone or by mail to the nine-question survey is the neighbor next door, two doors down or down the street.

Already vulnerable neighborhoods are hardest hit by COVID-19 job losses

A dashboard created by the Kinder Institute’s Houston Community Data Connections shows job-loss estimates in each Harris County community. Many of the areas impacted most by the economic downturn are home to low-income renters, the working poor and single-parent households.

Amid the pandemic, lessons in what we’ve overlooked

Has the COVID-19 crisis made you more aware of things you didn’t properly appreciate before the outbreak? What have you learned new reverence for since life was disrupted?

Dear cities: Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to remake and retake streets

Over the years, more and more of our public space has been given over to cars and congestion while pedestrians, cyclists and others have been squeezed out. One possible silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic is the chance to give some of that space back.

Update: COVID-19 Registry shows racial disparities in economic impact of pandemic

More than 40% of Houston-area households have lost income as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. And the pandemic appears to be taking a greater economic toll on African American and Hispanic households than white and Asian American households, according to the latest survey results from Rice University’s COVID-19 Registry.

Big cities, megaregions and the huge role they will play in response and recovery

Cities need to reject the notion that they are the pandemic problem; rather, they need to assert their collective brainpower, humanity and economies as the solution to emerging from this current crisis smarter, kinder and more prosperous than ever.

Post-coronavirus economic recovery in Houston and Texas requires bold planning

Kinder Institute senior fellow and former Harris County Judge Ed Emmett sees three major challenges that need to be addressed as Texas begins the task of tackling its economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

We shouldn’t let this disaster go to waste

As the COVID-19 crisis continues, planners and urbanists should be considering the lessons we’re already learning during the pandemic and think about solutions that will improve our future cities. Those include things like urban farming, neighborhoods that are less drivable and more walkable, and better, safer shared-use of city streets.

In post-pandemic Texas, the state’s cities will be more important than ever

Some 80% of Texas’ 29 million residents live in large cities or metropolitan areas, which are the economic drivers in the state. If the recovery is going to be successful after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, it’s important that preparations begin now.

Can Texas afford to lose its housing affordability advantage?

Long known as a place where everything except the cost of living is big, the state seems to be losing its edge in the area of home prices — especially in its large metros. Continuing in that direction could lead to trouble down the road.

Shaping Africa’s urban areas to withstand future pandemics

In many African cities, the combination of density, widespread financial insecurity and underdeveloped health care systems make them especially vulnerable to being hit hard by COVID-19.

In the COVID-19 era, a renewed appreciation of our parks and open spaces

During this time of heightened stress and anxiety, stay-at-home orders and social distancing, the respite provided by simple things like a walk or run in the park has proved to be more important than ever. Let’s not forget that when we reach the other side of this.

Mobility data shows some staying at home more than others during COVID-19 pandemic

Researchers studying the impact of stay-at-home mandates on the area’s environment and infrastructure share insight into which county populations are limiting their movement — and potential exposure to the coronavirus — more than others. 

Boom likely to resume but leaders need to square disparities in the Texas Triangle

Despite the current coronavirus-driven economic slowdown and drop in oil prices, Houston continues to be one of the fastest-growing and most prosperous metropolitan areas in America. The metro area continues to add about 100,000 residents annually and has a gross domestic product of a half-trillion dollars per year.

Staying at home may have saved 4,533 lives in Harris County so far

The number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States is nearing 10,000 and there are close to 340,000 reported cases.