Urban Edge

Insights, perspectives and stories about building better cities and better lives

Parks and public spaces: How Houston ranks and some of our favorites

If the Trust for Public Land’s annual ParkScore rankings mean anything to you, Houston’s steady slide over the past seven years may surprise, concern, frustrate or alarm you. The nonprofit’s evaluation of “park access and quality” — based on an assessment of access, investment, acreage and amenities — puts Houston at No. 85 among the nation’s 100 largest cities. Overall, the city’s parks get a score of 35.3.

In Acres Homes, a homegrown effort to make healthy foods accessible

The Acres Homes Health Action Team is contending with food insecurity, health disparities and climate change and more. It’s also excited and passionate about the Acres Homes community and making it stronger.

Study reveals effects of white privilege in FEMA flood buyout program

Research from Rice University sociologists shows urban areas and predominantly white neighborhoods that are at risk of flooding in cities benefit the most from FEMA’s voluntary buyout program.

These 21 community initiatives are making Houston more resilient

When work to address challenges at the neighborhood level is aligned with broader citywide efforts, communities and residents are better able to respond to and recover from long-term stresses and sudden shocks.

Where does Houston land on list of ‘Best Cities for Women in Tech’?

On average, Houston offers women tech workers more income equality than all American cities except Long Beach, California, where women earn more than men. But how does the city rank overall?

Everything you think you know about city buses is probably wrong

Writer and transit advocate Steven Higashide says buses provide affordable mobility, combat climate change and address inequalities in American cities.

City unveils ‘Resilient Houston,’ its plan to make the city stronger at every level

When it comes to health care, most people know they can either put in the work of maintaining a healthy diet and getting enough exercise now or pay a much higher price — physically and fiscally — later in life. The same is true when it comes to the health and well-being of a city and its residents. In the long run, it’s smarter and less expensive for local governments to invest now to ensure they are prepared to handle unexpected disasters and possibly prevent problems altogether in the future.

Houston joins global network of cities working to build resilience

One day before the release of the city’s Resilient Houston plan on Wednesday, a new network of resilient cities was publicly announced at the UN-Habitat World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi. Houston will be a member of the network.

What Indy learned when it opened a mostly bus-only rapid transit route

IndyGo opened its Red Line last year, connecting many important parts of Indianapolis along a 60% bus-only rapid transit route.

Why the pedestrian experience shouldn’t be so ... pedestrian

Transit equity benefits all of society — both those who use it and those who don’t. It provides access to jobs, schools and other opportunities to underserved communities, people who can’t afford the costs related to owning a car as well as those who use it because of convenience or to limit their contribution to the problems of congestion and pollution. In turn, the reductions in traffic and emissions they represent benefit those who drive. But we should also consider the equity of infrastructure such as sidewalks, crosswalks and drainage, all of which affect connectivity, accessibility and safety for people who walk, roll and ride bikes in Houston.