Houston

Clear-Sky Flood

Houston-Area Floodplain Regulations to Expand from 100-Year to 500-Year Levels

Harris County, home to Houston and the scene of widespread devastation during Hurricane Harvey and other weather events, will make large-scale changes to development regulations on floodplains for the first time in almost 20 years.

November 26, 2017 - Houston Chronicle

Houston, Construction

Houston's Tallest New Buildings Coming to Neighborhoods Not Called Downtown

A 328-foot building is planned for the Downtown-Adjacent Midtown neighborhood.

November 25, 2017 - Houston Chronicle

Satellite Image

It's Now Safe to Link Hurricane Precipitation and Climate Change

A new study from MIT makes a clear connection between the intensity of rainfall caused by Hurricane Harvey last August in Texas and climate change, concluding that the likelihood of stronger downpours is greatly increasing.

November 17, 2017 - The Washington Post

Downtown Houston

20-Year 'Plan Houston' Would More Than Double Downtown's Population

The Houston Downtown Management District and Central Houston Inc. have released a new 20-year vision for Downtown Houston.

November 16, 2017 - Houston Chronicle

Houston Texas

Challenges in Rebuilding Houston Extend Beyond Development

Michael Kimmelman, architecture critic of The New York Times, looks beyond sprawl and development issues that challenge Houston in its rebuilding efforts. An anti-urban, anti-regulation bias from the statehouse isn't helping matters.

November 15, 2017 - The New York Times

Buffalo Bayou Park

Houston's Latest Push for Walkable Neighborhoods

Building on 2009's Transit Corridor Ordinance, Houston's Walkable Places Committee is creating a process for specific neighborhoods to adopt new rules emphasizing walkability.

November 14, 2017 - The Urban Edge

Downtown Houston

Rebuilding by Design, This Time in Houston

History shows that there's more than one way to control flooding, but the best ideas are also urban amenities.

November 11, 2017 - Houston Chronicle

Houston, Texas

Houston Planning Director Dispels Myths About the Effects of Harvey

An interview with Houston Planning Director Patrick Walsh, conducted after Hurricane Harvey ravaged the city and reduced its planning and infrastructure to a talking point for pundits. It's time to let the locals do the talking.

November 8, 2017 - Josh Stephens

Houston City Park

A Call for Better Bike Infrastructure in Houston

It's been a deadly Autumn for bike riders in Houston, and bike advocates are pushing the city to make streets safer for all users.

November 5, 2017 - Houston Chronicle

Normal, Illinois

National Partners Launch the 10-Minute Walk to a Park Campaign

The 10-Minute Walk to a Park Campaign launched earlier this month.

October 31, 2017 - The Huffington Post

Houston And L.A.: Kindred Spirits Meet In World Series

Planning scholar Bill Fulton, longtime resident of L.A. and relatively recent transplant to Houston, sizes up the urban implications of a World Series played between two very similar cities.

October 25, 2017 - California Planning & Development Report

2017 World Series

The World Series of Housing Markets

Comparing the housing markets of Houston and Los Angeles—two of the nation's metropolitan area's most commonly associated with auto-centric sprawl—before their respective Major League Baseball teams square off in the 2017 World Series.

October 24, 2017 - Real Estate Consulting

Houston Texas

Up and Running: The Speedy Recovery of Houston's City Hall

Following Hurricane Harvey, Houston's City Hall became flooded with four feet of water, rendering the building's electrical and mechanical equipment useless. Restoring power back to City Hall quickly was crucial in aiding the recovery efforts.

October 6, 2017 - Doggerel

Houston Flood

Opinion: Forget Zoning, Houston Needs a Floodplain Ordinance

Zoning might not have saved Houston from Harvey, but a strong floodplain ordinance would have, according to an opinion piece published in the Houston Chronicle.

October 3, 2017 - Houston Chronicle

Hurricane Harvey Flooding

A Hurricane's Impact on Houston Commercial Real Estate

Houston's commercial real estate market, including some 72,000 apartment units, has been severely impacted b Hurricane Harvey.

September 20, 2017 - Modern Cities

Harvey Floods Houston

How the National Flood Insurance Program Sabotaged Itself

Having charged low rates during years of bumper development, the National Flood Insurance Program worked at cross-purposes with itself while development continued on.

September 18, 2017 - Vox

Texas Flood

Harvey Flooding Unlikely to Depress Houston's Housing Market

Vigorous continued demand for Houston homes left some realtors surprised after the city endured catastrophic flooding. For a lot of new construction, elevated homes may become the norm.

September 15, 2017 - The New York Times

Harvey Floods Houston

FEMA to Buy Flooded Houston Homes

In the hopes of helping some Houston homeowners rebuild in more sustainable living places, FEMA will buy some homes flooded during Hurricane Harvey.

September 13, 2017 - The Houston Chronicle

Houston Flood

Houston Flooding: Climate Change or Development Patterns to Blame?

The Guardian's former environmental editor asks if urban sprawl is as much to blame as climate change for the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in Houston.

September 9, 2017 - Guardian

San Francisco

Houston and San Francisco: Urban Development Patterns Gone Awry

With the media rightfully pointing to Houston's sprawling urban development patterns that exacerbated the epic flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey, Paul Krugman also finds fault with cities where urban development is too tightly regulated.

September 5, 2017 - The New York Times - Opinion

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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.

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