Houston

I-45 and I-69

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.

September 12, 2019 - Houston Chronicle

Houston Freeway

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.

September 6, 2019 - Houston Chronicle

Tallgrass Prairie

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.

September 4, 2019 - Streetsblog USA

Flooding

Flood Plans, Green Infrastructure Take Center Stage in Houston's Mayoral Race

The city of Houston will decide their next mayor in November, in a rematch of the two candidates who ran against each other in a tight runoff election in 2015 as well as a host of additional candidates.

August 21, 2019 - Houston Chronicle

Houston Light Rail Transit

Voters Will Decide on $3.5 Billion Transit Funding Bond in Houston

Houston's potential as a multi-modal city will be on the ballot this November.

August 14, 2019 - Houston Chronicle

Parking Requirements

Parking Minimums Not Required in a Larger Section of Houston

The Houston Council voted yesterday to extend its market-base parking program.

July 18, 2019 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research

Homelessness

Houston Gets a Handle on Homelessness While Dallas Struggles

Formerly playing host to almost double the homeless population of Dallas, Houston has addressed the problem with some success over the past decade. Meanwhile, rising costs have fueled a growing crisis in Dallas.

July 15, 2019 - The Texas Tribune

Hurricane Harvey

Scrutiny for Houston Development Patterns After New Stormwater Regulations

Advocates and researchers say new development regulations, with more stringent flood protections, aren't doing enough to control the stormwater impacts of sprawl.

July 9, 2019 - Community Impact Newspaper

Houston Light Rail

The Devil's in the Details for Houston's Hobby Line Light Rail Planning

Several alternative routes are still under consideration for a planned light rail route included in Houston's METRONext long-range transit plan, in progress ahead of a vote by residents in November.

June 15, 2019 - Houston Chronicle

I-45 and I-69

How a Freeway Widening Project Will Reshape Houston

The environmental impact report for the North Houston Highway Improvement Project is still underway, after 15 years of planning, but it's not too early to imagine the consequences of this massive project.

June 6, 2019 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research: The Urban Edge

Flooding

Flooding Less of a Concern as Hurricane Memories Fade

Residents of Houston are less likely to think of flooding as a concern, or to think development should be prohibited in flood-prone areas, as in the years immediately following Hurricane Harvey.

May 15, 2019 - Houston Chronicle

Texas Bike Lane

Bike Infrastructure Makeover Underway in Houston

It might surprise people outside of Texas to hear about the progress of new, high quality bike infrastructure in the city of Houston.

May 5, 2019 - Next City

Hurricane Harvey Houston

Black Towns Face Threats From Flooding and Buyouts

Many of the historic towns would disappear if flood buyout programs force residents to relocate.

March 26, 2019 - Scalawag

Hurricane Harvey

Connecting the Issues of Flooding and Affordable Housing in Texas

A study released this week by the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium ( the University of Houston, the Kinder Institute, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and more) raises concerns that new floodplain regulations could harm renters.

March 21, 2019 - The Houston Chronicle

Texas

'Urban Luxury' Housing Skyrockets in Texas and Beyond

An explosion of upscale multifamily development in Texas cities reflects trends in the national housing market.

March 18, 2019 - Curbed

High-Speed Rail

The Future of U.S. High-Speed Rail Is in Texas

Carlos Aguilar, Texas Central president and CEO, comments on the changes to the San Francisco-to-Anaheim project announced last month by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and why his project linking Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth will progress.

March 5, 2019 - Texas Central

Houston Metro Bus

Houston's $7.5 Billion Multimodal Transportation Plan

The Moving Forward Plan seeks to improve transportation throughout the region, but funding and project priorities still need to be sorted out.

January 29, 2019 - Houston Chronicle

Houston Metro

Gentrification Threat Spreading in Houston, Particularly on City’s East Side

A decrease in affordable housing, the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and demographic changes mean more of the city’s neighborhoods are facing gentrification challenges.

December 20, 2018 - Rice University News & Media

Houston Light Rail

$7.5 Billion Regional Transit Plan Revealed in Houston

The METRONext Moving Forward Plan was revealed at the annual meeting of the Greater Houston Partnership.

December 14, 2018 - Progressive Railroading

Buffalo Bayou Park

Slideshow: Walkable Houston

The Houston Chronicle shares the views in the most walkable sections of the city of Houston.

December 8, 2018 - Houston Chronicle

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.