Urban Edge

Stories, perspectives and insights from the Kinder Institute

It seems like all of California is moving to Texas. Is that true?

In the past, the influx of Californians to Texas has fluctuated from year to year. However, since 2018, the West Coast migration has remained high. Why is that? (Hint: It’s not oil prices.)

One year in, what progress has Houston made in its plan to build resilience?

In 2020, the City of Houston and regional stakeholders cemented a resilience strategy and a climate action plan, which were adapted to reflect COVID-19’s impact on urban life. The Kinder Institute has gathered information and updates on the progress made in the first year of these efforts in one place.

How missed housing payments lead to sleep loss and greater health disparities

The stress of not being able to make rent or mortgage payments can negatively impact sleep quality and bring on other serious health problems like obesity and cardiovascular disease. There are a number of policy options that could make housing more affordable and stable for low-income adults and their families.

These 3 Houston-area cities have the highest minority homeownership rates in the US

A new study shows large, small and midsize cities with the highest — and lowest — minority homeownership rates. The No. 1 city in the U.S. is a Houston suburb.

Now that failing infrastructure has our attention, it needs our investment

There’s no question the United States is living off past investments in infrastructure without building the new infrastructure we need — or even upgrading the old infrastructure we have. It’s time to invest heavily in quasi-public infrastructure and ramp up effective public oversight of that infrastructure so it will work for us in emergency situations.

Repairing the urban fabric torn apart by highways in America

How rebuilding freeways has helped heal mid-20th-century transportation scars in cities like San Francisco, Dallas, Syracuse and Washington, D.C., along with a cautionary tale from Houston.

Mapping inequity in Houston’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout

Like many resources in Houston, access to the COVID-19 vaccine is concentrated on the west side of the city, while the greatest need and impact of the disease is concentrated among the residents on the east side.

The pandemic helped Houston move up on the list of greenest cities

Shifts in travel habits because of the pandemic, including less driving and more active transportation, drove the metro’s improved ranking among the most climate-friendly areas in the U.S.

The US needs a bottom-up plan to fix its glaring infrastructure needs

A major, federally led infrastructure strategy is vital to meeting the nation’s challenges. A new Kinder Institute report shows that to be truly responsive to the needs of America’s cities and regions, a bottom-up consultation process with regional and local leaders and a focus on three priorities will be necessary.

The new BikeHouston boss has a vision for safer streets for all

Whether you ride a bike full time or part time, just for fun or for transportation, BikeHouston’s new executive director wants to make it safer to ride a bike in Houston. It’s why he left New York to come here.