A local nonprofit is urging the city to consider adding mixed-use development to the site, which city officials plan to turn into a stormwater detention facility.

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.”
FULL STORY: How a former landfill could help fight floods and reimagine a swath of southwest Houston

The End of Single-Family Zoning in Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is the latest jurisdiction in the country to effectively end single-family zoning.

‘Train Daddy’ Andy Byford to Oversee Amtrak’s High-Speed Rail Efforts
Byford, who formerly ran NYC Transit and Transport for London, could bring renewed vigor to the agency’s plans to expand regional rail in the United States.

Seattle Bus Lane Cameras Capture Over 100,000 Violations
An automated traffic enforcement pilot program caught drivers illegally using transit lanes more than 110,000 times in less than a year.

Immigration Grows, Population Drops in Many U.S. Counties
International immigration to the country’s most populous areas tripled even as major metropolitan areas continued to lose population.

$616 Million in Development Incentives Approved for District Detroit
The “Transformational Brownfield” incentives approved by the Detroit City Council for the $1.5 billion District Detroit still require approval by the state.

Affordable Housing Development Rejected for Lack of Third Staircase in Connecticut
The New Canaan Planning Commission rejected a development proposal, including 31 below-market-rate apartments, for lack of a third staircase, among other reasons, at a time when advocates are pushing to relax two-staircase requirements.
Houston-Galveston Area Council
City of Malibu
Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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