Creating A Walkable Neighborhood In Auto-Centric Houston

"The vision promised on the Midtown Web site — 'a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood in the heart of Houston' — has been achieved in parts of Midtown, but some developers remain skeptical of these concepts. And city development rules forbid certain features of walkable urban design.

For example, the requirement for building setbacks of 25 feet outside of downtown gives pedestrians little to see except parking lots."

"The existing rules are frustrating to Ian Rosenberg, a planner and developer who is turning a vacant, 80-year-old Midtown building into a European wine bar and cafe.

Rosenberg said city officials told him he would have to provide more off-street parking than he could create even if he tore down the building, which once housed a dry cleaner. Placing an awning over a sidewalk to provide shade for pedestrians would require a variance, he said."