A Super Bowl visitor to Houston writes that although the city's reputation for visual blight is deserved, the city is catching on to good city building.
"Most encouraging is Houston's belated attention to the small and seemingly insignificant sidewalk-level amenities that are so important to urban vitality... Market Square, Courthouse Square and along Main Street. Here dozens of historic two- to four-story brick structures have been reclaimed as restaurants, clubs, loft apartments and condominiums, and these formed the heart of Houston's raucous Main Event street party of the last week. Houston threw a New Orleans-quality street bash for several days, and it would not have been possible had not all those historic structures been brought back to life."
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: It paid to sweat the small stuff
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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.
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