Urban Edge

Stories, perspectives and insights from the Kinder Institute

Mayoral candidates to debate health

The slew of candidates vying to become Houston’s next mayor will inevitably spend the next six months giving stump speeches about jobs, infrastructure and public safety.

Why Code for America Hired An Economic Development Director

Hiring Bycer to lead its economic development efforts is part of a new layer of organization for Code for America this year.

How Houston’s East End finally got transit

METRO’s Green Line began service this weekend in Houston’s East End. But if the community hadn’t demanded better service 40 years ago, it might not have the transit line it now enjoys.

Architecture firm explores how to 3D-print houses

Gensler, the San Francisco-based design and architecture firm, says it’s working with a Chinese company to explore the possibility of producing homes using massive 3D-printers.

How Oklahoma City’s mayor put his city on a diet

Most communities are delighted to make any of the “top city” lists that have become ubiquitous in the media in recent years.

What happens when you let kids build a city?

East End residents used objects to represent police stations and recreation centers they want built in their neighborhood.

Can a building’s design promote healthy lifestyles?

For more than a decade, developers competed to brand their buildings as “green,” betting that tenants would pay a premium for a structure with energy-efficient features that could save money and or garner positive PR.

Medical Centers Can Serve as a Catalyst for Cities

They have a lot to offer.

Q&A with Rose Gowen: How Brownsville is fighting public obesity and making a more vibrant city

Rose Gowen is a city commissioner and OB-GYN in Brownsville, a city of 180,000 that sits just north of the Texas-Mexico border. The greater Brownsville area has the highest poverty rate in the country – 35 percent – which has contributed to an obesity and diabetes epidemic. Gowen spoke with the Kinder Institute’s Ryan Holeywell about how the city is trying to combat a public health crisis. The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Cities tap university expertise to cure urban ills

They’re trying to make “big data” more than a catch phrase.