Originally proposed in 2019, the Buffalo Park East Master Plan, which would extend Buffalo Bayou Park to the East End and Fifth Ward neighborhoods, is suddenly in high gear.
The Kinder Foundation this week announced a $100 million gift to launch a plan to expand Buffalo Bayou Park in Houston to the east to the East End and Fifth Ward neighborhoods.
“This visionary plan integrates new bayou parks, trails, housing, cultural destinations, and infrastructure improvements into the Greater East End and Fifth Ward neighborhoods,” according to a September 26 press release from the Buffalo Bayou Partnership. The Kinder Foundation gift represents a down payment on the $310 million total investment planned in the first ten years of the Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan, first announced in 2019. The Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan envisions parks and destinations that reflect the cultural and industrial legacies of Buffalo Bayou East for a four-mile stretch of the bayou from US 59 to the Port of Houston Turning Basin.
The announcement comes with an acknowledgement of the housing pressures in the two neighborhoods—the Fifth Ward in particular has been identified as one of the hot beds of gentrification in Houston. To address community needs for affordable housing, the proposal includes 13 acres of mixed-income development, funded with $24 million in 9% federal tax credits and Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant financing.
Both the City Council and Harris County Commissioners Court are expected to sign off on final documents this week, according to a paywalled article published by the Houston Chronicle. Additional coverage of the gift and the Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan is available from Chron and Houston Public Media. More details on Buffalo Park East are also available on the Kinder Foundation website.
Criticism for Army Corps' Houston Flood Protection Plans
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has revised a plan to protect the Houston region from flooding by tossing out a proposed tunnel and opting instead to dig Buffalo Bayou wider and deeper.
Houston's Latest Stormwater Project: 'Massive, Underground Tunnels'
The most recent post-Harvey proposal would mean the city could endure enormous rain events, but so far it's not clear who would pay for it.
Houston's Historic Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern Opens to the Public
Houston's Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern, commissioned in 1926 and decommissioned in 2007, is now the city's hottest attraction.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing
Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.
Tiny House Villages for Addressing Homelessness: An Interview with Yetimoni Kpeebi
One researcher's perspective on the potential of tiny homes and owner-built housing as one tool to fight the housing crisis.
Preserving Altadena’s Trees: A Community Effort to Save a Fire-Damaged Landscape
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena Green is working to preserve fire-damaged but recoverable trees, advocating for better assessment processes, educating homeowners, and protecting the community’s urban canopy from unnecessary removal.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Investigation Reveals Just How Badly California’s Homeless Shelters are Failing
Fraud, violence, death, and chaos follow a billion dollar investment in a temporary solution that is proving ineffective.
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.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
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