Urban Edge

Insights, perspectives and stories about building better cities and better lives

Urban Review: The Power of Porches, Subsidized Healthcare and a 100-Day Agenda for Harris County

This week, new research on the link between access to subsidized health care and falling behind on rent or mortgage payments, a poetic look at the power of porches, possible priorities for Harris County's new leadership and more.

These are the many things considered in designing a park for Houston and how you can have a say

Houston's goal is to have a park within a half mile or 10-minute walk for residents and once the land is acquired, the designing process begins.

Map: Eligible and Likely to Naturalize

An interactive map from USC looks not just at the populations eligible to naturalize but their likelihood as well.

What To Watch: Looking Ahead to the 86th Legislative Session

Thanks in part to the results of the recent election, lawmakers are underscoring this session as a time to focus on "bread and butter" issues.

Legislative Report: Hurricane Harvey Recovery Has Cost $2.7 Billion So Far, Most Paid by Feds

Texas Tribune | A report released Friday by the Texas Senate's budget-writing committee laid out past and future costs related to recovery from "the most costly disaster ever to hit the Texas coast."

Urban Review: Return of Rent Control, Devaluing Homes in Majority Black Neighborhoods and Guerrilla Art in Transit

This week, an artist improves bus stops in Los Angeles, new insights into how undervalued homes in majority black neighborhoods are and a reflection on the promise and pitfalls of rent control.

The Unstudied Neighborhood

The bulk of sociological research and policies derived from it focuses on just a small slice of cities. That's a problem.

How Can Houston's Transit Be More Equitable?

In its Equity in Transit report, LINK Houston recommends increasing the frequency and hours of service on key bus routes as well as other system improvements.

How Houston's Denver Harbor Used A Land-Use Tool To Curb Gentrification

Without citywide zoning, Houston communities must know their way around available land-use tools to shape their fates.

Households with People with Disabilities Experience More Residential Disadvantage

New study and data provide insight into compounding challenges in Harris County and across the country.