Urban Edge

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

At first glance, Houston taxpayers seem to pay more into county coffers than it receives in services

Do property taxpayers inside the City of Houston subsidize Harris County services? It’s a question that comes up a lot, given the fact that city residents—like their counterparts in the county—pay separate property taxes to the county, but the county provides many services only to the unincorporated areas.

Houston public health could benefit from a more collaborative governance structure

When COVID-19 struck in early 2020, public health experts in Houston swung into action. But, unlike in other major Texas cities, two different agencies swung into action: the City of Houston Health Department and the Harris County Public Health Department. Although they worked well together in a crisis, the pandemic gave new currency to the question of how public services are delivered in the Houston area.

After 20 years, the center of Harris County's population has moved outside the Loop

In 20 years, the population center of Harris County moved 2 miles, taking it from the heart of the historic Heights area and outside the Loop for the first time. It’s yet another sign of the suburban surge underway in the Houston area.

Houston hopes more homeowners will embrace housing literally in their backyard

There is a lot to like about accessory dwelling units—garage apartments, in-law cottages, granny flats—as a form of housing. Done well, ADUs can help meet the needs for multigenerational families, workers and students, and they offer a gentler form of infill density in urban neighborhoods. They can also provide a source of income and build wealth for the homeowners who choose to build them. What will it take to spark a “backyard revolution” in Houston?

Scribbles from Switzerland: In a world of disruption, a tiny old European region has a lot of answers

I just took a trip to Switzerland and southern Germany, and was amazed by what I saw and experienced. As a country goes, Switzerland is relatively old, landlocked, and small. However, despite its reputation for being just about chocolate and skiing, it’s also quite diverse, both socially and economically. Its terrain is wildly varied, combining mountains, valleys, plains and lakes, with historically strong and distinct areas clearly defined in each area. And Switzerland consistently ranks near the highest in terms of overall quality of life.

Community Bridges experience studying air quality unlocked a passion for data-driven advocacy in Houston

One of our Community Bridges alumni shares how his experience inspired a data-driven pursuit for environmental justice in Houston.

Is 3D printing ready to help meet the demand for housing? Texas puts it to the test

The urban population centers in Texas are losing their competitive edge in terms of housing costs, and it's becoming more expensive to build houses everywhere. Could 3D-printed housing help cities keep pace with demand and keep costs under control? One of the largest tests of the technology will soon be underway.

How close is Houston to ending homelessness? Closer than you think.

Houston has made considerable progress in reducing homelessness in the past decade. We know exactly what it will take to become the first major city to effectively end homelessness—including how many affordable housing units we’ll need to build.

People are voting with their feet and Texas is winning. But not so much in the rankings.

This year might be the first Thanksgiving in Texas for thousands of new residents who flocked here for lower housing prices and job opportunities. While we'll take that vote of confidence, the Urban Edge revisits its occasional series on city rankings with an eye toward how Houston and Texas stacks up to some of its Californian counterparts.

Zillow, other iBuyer algorithms appear to be fixated on Harris County’s suburbs

Zillow’s recent high-profile offloading of its properties drew attention to the relatively new “iBuyer” sector of the housing economy. In this blog post, I explain this sector and map the location of Zillow and other iBuyer properties within Harris County. My analysis suggests that while urbanists often mull over gentrification, and this Institute often researches the subject, it doesn’t seem to apply to what’s happening to the communities where speculative investors operate.