Houston
From Dumps to Solar Farms, One Houston Neighborhood Is Planning its Own Future
After decades of fighting landfills and pollution in their community, residents of Sunnyside are working to build a more sustainable future.
Vision Zero Action Plan Launched in Houston
In Houston, 60 percent of serious automobile crashes occur on 6 percent of the city's streets. A New Vision Zero Action Plan will focus safety improvements on those streets with a high density of traffic deaths and serious injuries.
Houston's Growth Continues With Massive Developments Planned for 2021
With plenty of space to build and an increasingly diverse economy, Houston continues to attract up-and-coming developments offering jobs, housing, and entertainment for the city's growing population.
New Bike and Walking Trail Opens in Houston, With Promises of More
The new Spring Branch Trail in northwest Houston is a 'harbinger' of more bike and pedestrian infrastructure to come.
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.
New Collaborations for Land Banks and Community Land Trusts
Land banks and community land trusts are finding new ways to work together in light of the ongoing housing affordability crisis and the new economic pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Social Dynamics of Houston's Urban Expansion
A new study published in the Land Use Policy journal explains how Houston's rapid expansion occurred, and why it matters.
Houston Officials Draft Ordinance to Protect Natural Areas
With more than 50,000 acres of parkland, Houston is one of many cities to notice an increase in use of natural areas. Natural Resources Manager Kelly Ondracek is drafting a plan to protect the natural lands from development.
Environmental Study Released for $7 Billion Houston Highway Project
The final environmental impact statement for the controversial North Houston Highway Improvement Project is available for public comment, courtesy of the Texas Department of Transportation.
Bike Ridership Booms in Some Unlikely Cities
A fitness tracking app reports dramatic increases in bike ridership since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Tolls Not Included: Toll Proposals Keep Ending Up in the Dustbin in Texas
Another example of the growing political and planning opposition to the idea of tolling new roads in Texas.
Texas Central High-Speed Rail Gets Green Light From Feds
The Federal Railroad Administration has granted two key permissions for Texas Central to operate a high-speed trail between Houston and Dallas.
The High Cost of Rampant Evictions: $315 Million a Year in Harris County, Texas
Evictions incur immense costs for the public and nonprofit sector, according to new analysis from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research.
Houston Lacks Zoning—Or Does It? The State Supreme Court Will Decide
A lawsuit argues that Houston's Historic Preservation Ordinance is a form of de facto land use control, equivalent to zoning, which isn't allowed by state and local laws.
On-Demand Transit in Houston: There's an App for That
The city of Houston this week launched an app for its Community Connector shuttle service as part of a ten-month pilot project.
The Racial Inequity of Disaster Recovery
Disaster recovery in the Houston area has been inconsistent, with low-income residents of color continuing to struggle to put their lives and communities back together.
Racism Has Shaped Public Transit, and It’s Riddled with Inequities
Former Houston METRO Board Member Christof Spieler highlights the racism embedded even in the way transit agencies were created.
Challenging the Permitting Record of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Zoning in the U.S. was originally intended to keep noxious uses out of residential areas. Around Houston, which famously lacks a traditional zoning system, polluting uses are still granted broad permission to operate in residential areas.
Not Just New York: Reports of an Urban Exodus From Houston
A recent article about Houston residents fleeing the city for College Station reads a lot like articles about New Yorkers decamping for less urban climes.
Seeking '20-Minute Neighborhood' Status in Texas
The neighborhood of Montrose in Houston has undertaken a self-funded study to assess the facts on the ground about walkability in the neighborhood.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
