The new mayor’s reversal of road safety projects, some already underway or completed, is raising eyebrows among developers who say residents want walkable, mixed-use streets.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s reversal or suspension of road safety projects in the city is concerning developers as well as pedestrian advocates, reports Janet Miranda in the Houston Chronicle.
“So far the mayor has reversed work on city roads, demolishing new pedestrian-friendly street improvements and putting holds on ongoing street projects in the name of preserving car lanes. His targets have included Houston Avenue, the Montrose Boulevard Improvement Project and the Shepherd-Durham redesign—undertakings put into motion in the name of bettering safety, improving drainage and increasing walkability.”
The mayor’s stance seems in opposition to the views of other city officials and Houston residents. In a 2023 poll, 60 percent of respondents said they would prefer to live in a mixed-use development over a single-family home. “An increased demand among prospective U.S. homebuyers for amenities like ample sideways and proximity of homes to service businesses has not gone unnoticed by Houston real estate developers.”
For developers, walkability sells. “Enhancing walkability supports development and economic growth, and candidly shouldn't be controversial at the city level,” wrote Steve Radom, founder of Radom Capital, in a statement to Houston Public Media.
FULL STORY: 'What is the mayor doing?': Developers weigh in on Whitmire's road policies
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research