Houston

Houston More Expensive Than New York? Not So Fast
A recent study claiming that transportation costs in Houston, among other expenses, raise the cost of living almost to the same level as living in New York City. Some took exception to the study's methodology.

Gentrification in Houston Outpaces Other Texas Cities
Gentrification is transforming Houston faster than Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Houston Just as Expensive as New York City, Study Says
The extra costs of automobile dependency turn assumptions about affordability on their head, according to a recently published report by the Citizens Budget Commission.

Houston Will Not Be a Fare-Free Transit City
In case anyone was getting carried away with the idea of fare-free transit, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County has some cold water to pour on the conversation.

A Major Makeover for Houston Street
Bagby Street in Houston will soon have wider sidewalks and a new bike lane.

Changes in Houston Over the Last Decade
Comparing Houston in 2010 to the city today reveals a variety of transportation, infrastructure, and economic changes.

Rents Grow Fastest in Houston's Opportunity Zones
Rents have grown as much as 28 percent in the last year over the past year in the neighborhood of Midtown in Houston.

New HOT Lanes Open in Houston
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County opened a new segment of HOT lanes, open to carpools and toll paying solo drivers, on U.S. 290 in Houston this week.

The Growing Urban Inequality Gap, Visualized
Inequality is growing faster in large metropolitan areas, according to a New York Times data visualization.

Which Houston Metro Board Members Actually Use Transit?
A review of board members' Q Cards reveals the extent to which the people who implement Houston's transit policy actually use the system: some quite a bit, some not so much.

Suburban Houston a Testing Ground for Autonomous Delivery Tech
The story of how the autonomous delivery company Nuro has taken to the streets of Houston to map the city and test its concept.

Washington Is A Good (Baseball) Town. So Is Houston.
Decades ago, Bill Fulton wrote that Washington was not a good baseball town—and was skewered by legendary sportswriter Shirley Povich. The World Series made him rethink both D.C. and Houston—as baseball towns and as cities.

Opinion: Houston Should Vote Yes for MetroNext to Build Transit and Clean the Air
The executive director of Environment Texas makes the case for public transit as a key tool in improving air pollution in and around Houston. Houston voters will vote on the MetroNext bond referendum today.

Friday Funny: Zoning Provides Nationals Fans With Another Bragging Point Over Astros Fans
The worlds of baseball and zoning collide again.

Report: Housing Choice Vouchers Fall Short of Intended Goals in Houston Region
The Housing Choice Voucher program is intended to provide new opportunities for low-income Americans to live in higher-priced neighborhoods, but few recipients of vouchers are taking full advantage of those opportunities.

Infrastructure vs. Housing
Do shortages of infrastructure justify restrictive zoning?

$14 Billion Deal for Texas High-Speed Rail Construction
Italian construction giant Salini Impregilo will build the high-speed rail route connecting Houston and Dallas.

Speck: Don't Widen I-45 in Houston
Jeff Speck, planning consultant and author of Walkable City, writes an opinion piece for the Houston Chronicle to oppose the plan to widen the I-45 freeway in Houston.

A Houston Columnist Celebrates Japan's Transit Infrastructure
The paper of record in a Texas oil town is a surprising place to find an article singing the praises of a society built on public transit instead of the automobile.

Texas Roadway a Threat to Prairie Preserve, Say Environmentalists
Part of the Houston-area Grand Parkway would pass through a tallgrass prairie reserve, and opponents say it would destroy the grasslands and bird habitat.
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