Houston
Houston's Drainage Problem
Houston received over 50 inches of rain from Hurricane Harvey in five days. While no city could survive that drenching unscathed, Houston was not prepared to handle the floods due to decades of neglect of stormwater management planning.
Can Zoning Mitigate Flooding? Yes...And No
Houston's flooding might be mitigated by land use regulation- but not the type of regulations that most cities have.
Lessons in Freeway Widening
The lesson is simple: don't widen freeways if you want to reduce congestion and auto-dependence.
Raising the Alarms as Hurricane Harvey Heads for Houston and the Gulf Coast
Hurricane Harvey was expected to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday. If the damage in human and economic terms is terrible, a lack of infrastructure maintenance and development responsibility will be to blame.
Houston Metro May Now Share Lanes With Traffic After All
When the Houston Metro debuted they had planned to keep parts of the route open to cars. After recent crashes that might change.
Lax Regulation of Texas Air Polluters
Regular "emissions events" at Texas heavy industrial facilities cause a lot of unauthorized pollution. But few consequences mean the companies responsible don't have to crack down.
Study Sheds Light on the Effect of Streetlights on Crime
A study of the neighborhood and streets in the city of Houston finds that streetlights aren't always an effective crime deterrent.
Houston Commercial Vacancies Outpace All Large U.S. Cities
Commercial vacancies have "ballooned" in Houston, according to the Houston Chronicle, as the energy slump takes hold of the real estate market. The last time vacancies were this high: the oil bust of the 1980s.
Car-Free in Houston
Visiting the city without zoning.
The Key Question for a New Innovation District in Houston: Location, Location, Location
A forthcoming opportunity for Houston offers a chance to consider the ingredients for a successful innovation district, and what level of intervention, public and private, is required to make the concept succeed.
Mounting Evidence of the Houston Housing Authority's Poor Performance
Both the local newspaper and the controller's office have found evidence that the Houston Housing Authority fails to deliver projects that match the amount of funding it receives.
The Struggle for a Walkable Houston
Houston is fighting itself on walkability. While some build sidewalks and benches, parking minimums and outdated policies hold the city back.
Audit Finds Houston's Life Safety Bureau Lacking
A city controller's audit finds lots of room for improvement at the Houston Fire Department's Life Safety Bureau.
Is Houston a City of the (Demographic) Future?
Bucking Texas political stereotypes, Houston is standing by its immigrant community. One reason: the city is one of country's most racially diverse.
Houston's Lower Westheimer Corridor Study Pitches Mobility and Safety Improvements
The infrastructure improvements funded by the ReBuild Houston initiative are moving forward. The latest example, the Lower Westheimer Corridor Study, recently released a concept video to make the case for a suite of roadway improvements.
Shifting Attitudes Toward Walkable Urbanism in Houston
According to this survey, many Houston residents increasingly prefer mixed-use areas over single-family suburbia. But there's only so much downtown available.
On the Bright Side, Rising Oceans Will Send Folks to Texas
A recent study predicts that climate refugees from Florida and coastal Louisiana may disperse to areas around the southeast, with a large number resettling in Texas
HUD Directs Houston to Revoke Housing Vouchers
A recent letter from HUD instructs the Houston Housing Authority to take drastic measures to reduce a projected budget gap.
Texas State Legislator Targets Historic Preservation for Demolition
A bill under consideration in the Texas House of Representatives would tie the hands of preservationists, making it much easier for building owners to demolish or alter buildings without regard to historic significance.
New, 44-Mile Section of Houston's Grand Parkway Ready for Construction
When the newest section is complete, the Grand Parkway will connect I-69 southwest of Sugar Land, Cinco Ranch and Cypress, unincorporated Harris County and Spring, and Harris, Montgomery, Liberty, and Chambers counties.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
