A Mixed-Use Vision for Houston Landfill Site

In the Kinder Institute for Urban Research Urban Edge blog, Nancy Sarnoff writes that the future of a former Houston landfill is in question as the city and a local non-profit debate how to redevelop the site.

The city recently bought around half of the 143-acre site, with plans to acquire the rest. But a nonprofit called Houston One Voice is asking the city to consider a mixed-use proposal that would incorporate stormwater retention features and bring more economic development to the area.

According to a report from the organization and the University of Houston, “The project would act as a catalyst for new development while protecting area residents and businesses with needed stormwater detention.” The proposal could create thousands of housing units and 1,800 jobs.

The site has languished for decades since the landfill closed. “Bruce Race, an architecture professor at the University of Houston who worked with students on developing the master plan for Houston One Voice, said the public-private scenario can be a ‘generational opportunity’ to transform a former landfill site while balancing the community need for stormwater detention, economic development and recreation.”