Urban Edge

Stories, perspectives and insights from the Kinder Institute

Where does Houston rank among America’s least (and most) segregated cities?

Racial segregation still prevails in most U.S. cities, but it varies widely across the nation, according to a report from City Observatory.

Fine-particle air pollution has decreased across the US, but poor and minority communities are still the most polluted

A new study shows that while fine particle air pollution has declined nationwide over the past 40 years, the health and environmental benefits haven't been shared evenly.

What transit agencies get wrong about equity, and how to get it right

All transit agencies must grapple with committing the resources necessary to effectively identify inequity and address it. In 2020, the mandate to ensure an equitable transportation system is more urgent than ever.

Less space for parking is a crucial step toward walkability in Houston

By design, Houston is car-dependent. Yet, Kinder Surveys have shown that half of Houstonians want to live where they can walk more and drive less. Recently approved ordinances that promote walkability in neighborhoods should help. Importantly, in certain areas, the new regulations will eliminate and reduce minimum parking requirements, which are considered costly, unfair and inefficient by many experts.

5 ways to help take racism out of disaster recovery

As Hurricane Laura makes landfall in Texas, many Houston-area residents — particularly in the Northeast part of the city — are still trying to recover from the devastation Harvey brought three years ago. An upcoming study suggests several changes to improve the disaster recovery system and make it more just and equitable.

Racism has shaped public transit, and it’s riddled with inequities

From funding, planning and infrastructure, to design and policing, many transit agencies essentially have built two systems with different standards for “choice” and “dependent” riders (that is to say white and Black).

Libraries are crucial to disaster recovery, but the coronavirus is keeping them closed

In many places, the public library often functions as a community center — a free and shared space that provides crucial social infrastructure for neighborhoods. That’s especially true when a disaster such as Hurricane Harvey hits. But what happens when a crisis like COVID-19 keeps libraries closed for five months and counting.

It’s hard to breathe with a concrete plant in your backyard

NIMBY opposition alone isn’t enough to counter the harmful effects of air pollutants emitted by concrete batch plants located in underserved and over-polluted communities in Harris County, which is home to more of these facilities than any county in Texas. Too often, much of the pollution and many of the polluters largely go unchecked by the state.

Houston lost 42,500 creative industry jobs and $1.6 billion in sales in 4 months

A new report measuring the damage done to America’s creative economy by COVID-19 shows the South, Texas and Houston are among the most devastated. At the metropolitan level, the Houston area is the largest metro suffering the worst losses.

A summer fellowship is the bridge to AmeriCorps service in Fifth Ward

The Kinder Institute’s Community Bridges program provides Rice University students an opportunity to both study and work to address urban inequality in Houston. Here’s Susanna Yau’s story of how working with the Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation changed her life.