The Urban Edge is a product of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University in Houston, Texas committed to telling stories about why cities are great and how they can be better.
Contributors
Leah Binkovitz
Leah Binkovitz is the senior editor for the Kinder Institute for Urban Research and its Urban Edge blog. She previously covered Fort Bend County for the Houston Chronicle. Before that, she was a journalism fellow in Washington, D.C., where she reported for the Washington Post and NPR. Binkovitz earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and her master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
William Fulton
William Fulton is the director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University and the author of several books, including "Guide to California Planning," "The Reluctant Metropolis" and "Talk City: A Chronicle Of Political Life In An All-American Town." Fulton came to Rice University from California where he served as the planning director for the City of San Diego. He formerly served as mayor, deputy mayor and a member of the city council in the city of Ventura, Calif.
Heather Leighton
Heather Leighton is the web and social media editor at Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research, where she is responsible for web editing and being the voice of the institute on social media. Before joining the Kinder team, she was the social media editor at the Houston Chronicle. Leighton earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin and returned to her hometown of Houston after graduating.
Kyle Shelton
Kyle Shelton is the director of strategic partnerships at Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research, where he leads research on urban development, transportation and placemaking, as well as on urban and metropolitan governance. Shelton has a Ph.D. in American history from The University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on how the intersections of transportation, urban development and policy shape the built and natural environments of cities in the past and today. He is the author of "Power Moves: Transportation, Politics and Development in Houston." His areas of expertise include transportation, urban development and planning policy.
Senior Editor
Former Contributors
Ryan Holeywell
Ryan Holeywell is the communications manager for the Texas Medical Center Health Policy Institute, where he works to ensure its analyses and research reach member institutions, journalists, policymakers and the public. Before joining the Health Policy Institute, he oversaw communications at Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research after working for more than a decade as a journalist.
Andrew Keatts
Andrew Keatts is the assistant editor at the Voice of San Diego. He sees land use coverage as a way to make sense of the complex land-use decisions governments make while explaining how those decisions affect the daily lives of San Diegans.
Dian Nostikasari
Dian Nostikasari is a professor at Drake University and a former research fellow with the Development, Transportation and Placemaking team at Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research.
Glissette Santana
Glissette Santana is the activities coordinator for the Center for Student Media at the University of Houston. She is also the former web and social media editor for the Kinder Institute for Urban Research.