Latest Posts
In Houston, some want to see the mayor lose control — at least some of it
The city’s strong mayor has the power to set the City Council agenda, which means nothing can go before the council without the mayor’s OK. A coalition led by the fire union is trying to rein in that strength.
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House Bill 5 may create separate and unequal college paths for Texas students
Differences in course requirements across endorsements appear to provide some students a more direct path to selective four-year colleges and universities than other endorsements. What can school districts in Texas do to help students and families deal with these discrepancies?
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Study: Pandemic relief for small businesses did its job, but more stimulus likely needed
New research indicates federal and local COVID-19 relief programs were effective in helping to buoy small businesses with injections of cash earlier in the pandemic. And as the pandemic drags on, additional action may be necessary.
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America is more diverse than ever, but diversity doesn’t equal equality
In the time since the Immigration and Nationality Act was signed in 1965, the demographics of Houston have changed dramatically. In 1980, the city was 55% white, 28% Black and 17% Hispanic. Today, the population is 25% white, 22% Black, around 7% Asian and nearly 45% Hispanic. Despite Houston’s high level of diversity, the city’s neighborhoods are segregated to a large degree.
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Police oversight in Houston is lax compared to Austin and Dallas, and needs reform
To effectively monitor police and investigate cases of alleged misconduct, oversight boards need independence, access to information and evidence, and adequate funding. If given sufficient power and authority, these agencies can hold police departments accountable for officers’ actions and build public trust. A new Kinder Institute report examines the police oversight systems in the state’s five largest cities to see how they compare.
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Big-city planners shouldn’t overlook the lessons of small-town design
Influenced by the Garden City movement, Badin, North Carolina, is a small gem of urban planning whose design called for green space, residential areas and commercial development in proportionate amounts. The planning of small towns like Badin can serve as an example for larger cities as they continue to grow.
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Rent prices are up in Houston as they’ve fallen in many US cities amid the pandemic
New reports on rental market trends show Houston, Austin and other Texas Triangle cities are hotspots for millennials while many of the most expensive U.S. cities for renters have seen prices decrease in the past year.
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Young workers account for almost 30% of pandemic-related job losses in the region
More than 325,000 16- to 29-year-olds have filed jobless claims since the COVID-19 outbreak began, many of them worked in accommodation, food services and retail — trade sectors hit hardest by the pandemic.
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Finding the small-scale urbanism his hometown lost to urban renewal
After a car-centric urban renewal plan irrevocably changed the town where he grew up, a young urbanist found the essence of Auburn, New York, in Southern California.
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Urban renewal was supposed to save my hometown, instead it ripped it apart
A failed plan to breathe life back into the economy of the beautiful, walkable city where I grew up left it half the place it once was, broke my father’s heart and shaped me as an urbanist.
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