A local nonprofit is urging the city to consider adding mixed-use development to the site, which city officials plan to turn into a stormwater detention facility.
In the Kinder Institute for Urban Research Urban Edge blog, Nancy Sarnoff writes that the future of a former Houston landfill is in question as the city and a local non-profit debate how to redevelop the site.
The city recently bought around half of the 143-acre site, with plans to acquire the rest. But a nonprofit called Houston One Voice is asking the city to consider a mixed-use proposal that would incorporate stormwater retention features and bring more economic development to the area.
According to a report from the organization and the University of Houston, “The project would act as a catalyst for new development while protecting area residents and businesses with needed stormwater detention.” The proposal could create thousands of housing units and 1,800 jobs.
The site has languished for decades since the landfill closed. “Bruce Race, an architecture professor at the University of Houston who worked with students on developing the master plan for Houston One Voice, said the public-private scenario can be a ‘generational opportunity’ to transform a former landfill site while balancing the community need for stormwater detention, economic development and recreation.”
FULL STORY: How a former landfill could help fight floods and reimagine a swath of southwest Houston
Promoting Infill Development for a Denser Houston
An advocacy group is calling for ‘sustainable, vertical’ mixed-use urbanism in the famously sprawling city.
Upcycling a Landfill into a Regional Park
Los Angeles County is working with a consultant team led by Studio-MLA to transform 142 acres of the Puente Hills Landfill into parkland, creating the first new regional park in the county in over 35 years.
From Dumps to Solar Farms, One Houston Neighborhood Is Planning its Own Future
After decades of fighting landfills and pollution in their community, residents of Sunnyside are working to build a more sustainable future.
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Washington State Plans Ambitious ‘Cycle Highway’ Network
The state is directing funding to close gaps in its existing bike network and make long-distance trips more accessible.
Homeowners Blame PG&E for Delays in ADU Permits
The utility says it has dramatically reduced its backlog, but applicants say they still face months-long delays for approvals for new electrical work.
Rethinking Wildfire Defense: How a Landscape Approach Can Protect Neighborhoods
Post-fire analysis of the Eaton Fire reveals that a landscape approach — including fire-resistant vegetation, home hardening, and strategic planning — can help reduce wildfire risk, challenging assumptions that trees and plants are primary fire hazards.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Caltrans
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland