Urban Edge

Stories, perspectives and insights from the Kinder Institute

Weekly Roundup: How Parking Became One of Urban Planners' Biggest Enemies

More than 30 percent of the area in many downtown cores is taken up by parked vehicles. Today, many planners are hellbent on doing something about it.

Guest Post: Why the Quest for "High Opportunity" Housing May Destabilize Communities and Schools

No matter how noble the advocates for the policy may view themselves, they are missing the complexity of community, families and schools.

A Year After Bus Redesign, METRO Houston Ridership is Up

A year into the overhaul of the region's bus network, METRO officials say they're pleased with the results -- and have more improvements in the works.

The Houston Townhouse: An Appreciation

Love or hate them, densely packed townhouses play a key role in the increasing the size of Houston's housing supply.

Weekly Roundup: Atlanta Hopes Its New Traffic Signals Are a Game Changer

The city will spend $250 million to improve its traffic system. Much of that will go towards its first traffic signal upgrade since the 1996 Olympics.

How To Address the 14 Percent of Young People Who Neither Work Nor Attend School

Interviews with disconnected youth -- young people who neither work nor attend school -- help reveal shortcomings of schools and other institutions.

Report: Indiana Mayoral Offices Shifting From Democrats to Republicans

Meanwhile, more than 20 percent of all mayoral elections in Indiana go uncontested.

Houston's Pensions Can Be Fixed, But as Other Cities Show Us, There's No Silver Bullet

The good news, for Houston, is there are clear steps it can take to manage its pension finances. The bad news? Almost all of them will cause some pain.

How Houston’s Unfunded Pension Liability Went From $0 to $4 Billion in Just 15 Years

There are two big reasons Houston’s pension challenges are growing. To fix the problem, they have to be addressed.

Why Houston Renters Aren't Giving Their City High Marks

Houstonians aren't recommending their city to friends and family members. Can the city move the needle?