An ongoing exhibition in Houston imagines a city on the cusp of a new, more prosperous future.
Lisa Gray shares insights from an ongoing exhibition at the new Architecture Center Houston headquarters titled "Houston 2020 Visions."
The exhibition showcases the fruits of a competition inspired by Hurricane Harvey that asked architects to envision the city’s future. The exhibit was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic—a still lingering reality that ads additional urgency to the exhibition, according to Gray: "Strangely, the questions at the show’s heart — What’s next? How do we build a better, more resilient city? — have never felt more urgent."
Given that context and the offerings on display in the show, Gray suggest that is the city is about to enter a new phase of its history: "a chance to make this place safer, cleaner, greener, tougher and more fun."
The article, is behind a paywall, features renderings from the show to illustrate the themes identified by Gray. Themes include reconsidering freeways, new kinds of housing, the long-term influence of the pandemic, and repositioning the city relative to the flooding that occurs in the region, among others.
Speaking of resilience and Houston, the Resilient Houston plan recently turned a year old, and the Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research surveyed the progress on the landmark plan.
FULL STORY: Future Houston: Designs for the city we might become [paywall]
Tracking Resilient Houston's Progress
The Resilient Houston initiative promises to strengthen the city's infrastructure and increase its capacity to thrive and adapt under crisis.
Advocates: Equity Lacking in the New Houston Climate Action Plan
Advocates and local residents are expressing concern about a lack of direct support in the Houston Climate Action Plan for underserved neighborhoods that have already experienced some of the worst effects of climate change.
'Resilient Houston' Plan Released
The 186-page "Resilient Houston" document was released to the public in the nation's fourth largest city, which is facing numerous environmental stresses.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time
A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.
Electric Grid Capacity Could Hamstring EV Growth
Industry leaders say the U.S. electric grid is unprepared for the increased demand for power created by electric cars, data centers, and electric homes.
Texas Bill Supports Adaptive Reuse in Commercial Areas
Senate Bill 840, which was preliminarily approved by the state House, would allow residential construction in areas previously zoned for offices and commercial uses.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions