Urban Edge

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

From Acres Home to Willowbrook: Making Harris County data more sensible and accessible with CTAs

Researchers and policymakers trying to study Harris County have a daunting task before them. It is the third-most populous county in the United States; if it were its own state, it would be bigger than Rhode Island in land area and would be ranked 25th in population. At this size, a single Houston neighborhood could have a population exceeding that of many Texas counties.

A generation ago, a documentary revealed an unseen housing crisis in Houston

In 1979, a documentary filmmaker and an architect trained both of their lenses on Houston’s housing crisis. The result was a film that could have easily been made today, as housing costs, inflation and demographic change continue to reshape the region. It is also a film that demands a second viewing.

Education leader Ruth Simmons ponders what's next for diversity, equity and inclusion

With publicly-funded state universities eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion as part of the hiring process, and proposed legislation targeted at other DEI policies in higher education, private institutions have an opportunity—and an obligation—to respond, Ruth J. Simmons said at the Kinder Institute Forum on Wednesday at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Researchers make the case for broader investments in high-quality pre-K in Texas

A high-quality prekindergarten education can significantly alter the trajectory of a child’s life, leaders from the Kinder Institute’s Houston Education Research Consortium told community members last week at a special presentation at the United Way of Greater Houston campus.

As Fort Bend becomes increasingly urban, developers see opportunity to rethink neighborhood design

A parcel of 235 acres off State Highway 99 and north of Highway 90 in Fort Bend County will be the home of a community where developers are offering residents an open-spaced, “people-first” neighborhood with maximized pedestrian safety, car-free zones and other amenities, including a 42-acre farm and a 25-acre lake.

Harris County bounces back in a big way in 2022 population estimate

Harris County’s population growth has found renewed vigor after a year of stagnation, according to new Census estimates released today, but these gains were far overshadowed by more rapid suburban growth.

As evictions reach historic levels in Harris County, families in Houston ISD are bearing the brunt

On March 6, nine days before the Texas Education Agency confirmed its plans to take over the Houston Independent School District, officials received a presentation from researchers at Princeton University about a dilemma confronting families and students in the district: evictions.

Q&A: How a green approach could help Houston shrink its flood risks—and its carbon footprint

If Houston took a nature-based approach to its drainage systems, it could help mitigate climate change, lessen the city’s severe heat and create job opportunities among other benefits, according to a recent report by the Rocky Mountain Institute.

Despite more people in the office, the workplace shift is shaking up all of Houston's other 'downtowns'

In Houston, since the pandemic recovery began, office workers have been quick to return to their desks and cubicles, commuting back to their physical offices, even if for just part of the week.

State takeovers of school districts do not work. But there is something else that might

This week, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner warned that the state of Texas intends to take over Houston Independent School District as early as next week. As researchers who study education — and particularly education in Houston — we were asked: What would that mean for students?