Posts Tagged ‘Houston’
Houston – Part 2
Today let’s look at Part 2 of the Houston regional rail system – the Gulf Corridor. This corridor is the big one in the news lately, and rightly so. It’s the primary link between the region’s two major historical centers (Houston and Galveston), and features a number of major institutions and attractions along the way. So how effectively can we connect it?
Houston – Part 1
As a privately funded system, the Texas High-Speed Rail system would need to start out small – ideally with a short commuter corridor that had potential for TOD. Houston’s South Corridor is a strong candidate. Would you like to be able get from Pearland to the Texas Medical center in 12 minutes? Come take a look.
Discovery Green Thrives while Boston’s Greenway Struggles
A coworker forwarded me this very interesting article comparing Houston’s Discovery Green with Boston’s RFK Greenway. …since Discovery Green opened in spring 2008, people have flocked to the 12-acre park, especially on weekends, when downtown streets feel empty enough for tumbleweeds. It boasts a signature restaurant, a café, an express branch of the public library, [...]
Phone call with Robert Kane, candidate for District F
Robert Kane, a candidate for City Council District F, called me last week. Now, I’m not a political whiz. I don’t intend to run extensive coverage of the local campaign (if you’re looking for such coverage, try Off the Kuff). I also am not planning to endorse any candidates, and I’m not endorsing Kane today. [...]
Solving the Ashby Paradox
The Ashby Hi-Rise situation has put the problems with Houston’s development regulations in the spotlight. The way the city does business today offers neither the protections that residents desire, nor the predictability that developers need to do business. If we’re not careful, the backlash from this event could make things even worse. Fortunately, there’s a win-win alternative that can solve this problem and make Houston a better place to live and do business.
Briefly: Ashby gets the go-ahead
From the Chronicle: More than two years after they first applied, the developers of the Ashby high-rise will receive permits for a project that generated protests and a renewed debate over how to regulate development in Houston, city officials said today. The decision was based on changes developers Matthew Morgan and Kevin Kirton made in [...]
A tiny step in the right direction
I was pretty excited to be quoted in the Chronicle two days ago. With regards to the passage of the Transit Corridor Streets ordinance, Mike Snyder reported the following: The changes drew support from real estate organizations including Houstonians for Responsible Growth, which generally resists new development regulation. But others who have followed Houston’s efforts [...]
Peter Brown’s Traffic Plan
I had a chance to look over Peter Brown’s traffic plan this weekend. It’s a pretty good document, and while it doesn’t go into tremendous detail it does clearly spell out his approach to traffic management. Kuffner wrote a great summary last week, so for the general idea take a look at his post. I [...]
Boroughs of Houston
What if Houston remade itself as a city with 18 boroughs? What are the pros and cons, and where would the boroughs be? Today we’ll take a look at how this idea could help the city with Annexation issues, make our municipal government more responsive and efficient, and help establish Houston’s brand throughout the nation and world.
CNU Houston Meeting Tonight
If you’re an avid reader of the blog you may be interested in being part of the local CNU chapter. We’re meeting tonight at 5:30PM at the Black Labrador Pub (4100 Montrose). For slightly more information see http://cnu.neohouston.com. Anyone who’s interested is invited, and I hope to see some of you there!