Houston

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.

Houston's Tallest New Buildings Coming to Neighborhoods Not Called Downtown
A 328-foot building is planned for the Downtown-Adjacent Midtown neighborhood.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

National Partners Launch the 10-Minute Walk to a Park Campaign
The 10-Minute Walk to a Park Campaign launched earlier this month.
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
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