Urban Edge

Stories, perspectives and insights from the Kinder Institute

How bikes paved the way for car dependency in America

And why there needs to be more investment in bicycle infrastructure in Houston and other cities.

Across Texas, more and more English learner students find the language barrier harder to overcome

New research from the Houston Education Research Consortium shows that — in both urban and nonurban parts of the state — students learning English are taking longer to become proficient. Texas needs to act now to address the problem and help these students avoid long-term struggles in school.

Coming out of the pandemic, how can cities counter 2020’s sharp rise in homicides?

Among 34 large cities studied, homicide rates increased almost 30% last year, compared to 2019. Reasons for the shocking spike relate in large part to the pandemic and its societal impacts, but the killing of George Floyd may have been a contributing factor as well. Evidence-based approaches and committed elected officials will be key to reducing violent crime in American cities going forward.

In Houston and everywhere else, (lot) size matters

The development of townhomes in Houston predominantly has taken place in high-amenity neighborhoods where gentrification has already occurred. The latest report from the Kinder Institute also shows new townhome construction is growing in at-risk neighborhoods, a trend that appears to be speeding gentrification in those communities.

Students still learning English are taking longer to become proficient, raising concerns about future struggles

English learners who have trouble moving on to English-only classes often have issues with low grades and test scores, and are at greater risk of dropping out. New data analysis from the Houston Education Research Consortium shows that, since 2007, there has been a significant increase in the number of Houston-area students who are taking longer than five years to learn English.

If they build it, will gentrification come?

A newly released Kinder Institute report examines how different types of housing development impact gentrification patterns in Harris County.

How to lessen the long-term educational — and economic — consequences of the pandemic

If action isn’t taken now to address and counter the disruptions in the education of students during the COVID-19 pandemic, the damage will be long-lasting and disproportionate. Here are some ways to deal with the impact.

‘Slow streets’ may have been rolled out too fast in Houston

Despite good intentions, the city’s three-month “slow streets” experiment in Eastwood may have been undone by efforts to react quickly to the circumstances of the pandemic. But the lessons learned could improve the initiative going forward.

Urban gardening has taken root, and it’s time for cities to encourage new growth

For many, the pandemic has been a time of self-reflection and reassessing how and why we spend our days doing what we do and the quality of our lives. That includes what we eat and where it comes from, which has led to a renewed interest in urban gardens. How can cities rethink the use of land and shared spaces in ways that promote gardening and help residents reap the rewards?

How stay-at-home orders added to the homelife stress of many Houstonians

COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted the lives of low-income families living in homes that were in need of repairs even before the pandemic. A pilot study involving 16 Fifth Ward households was launched to better understand how stay-at-home stress affected underserved residents both during and after the “Stay Home, Work Safe” order in Harris County.