In a city as hot in the summers as Houston, the idea of a swimming hole probably seems pretty appealing. Can an idea floated in a local newspaper column and backed by interested and passionate locals come to fruition?
Lisa Gray reports that an idea to build a swimming hole in Houston is gaining steam in the form of an advocacy website supported by a pro-bono team called houstonneedsaswimminghole.com.
Gray writes about the details of the proposition so far: "On a tract of at least ten acres in central Houston, they proposed creating a manmade swimming hole, one that would use plants and natural processes to filter bayou water until it was not only safe for swimming but crystal-clear. They cited similar projects in Australia and Minneapolis. And they guessed that they'd need, oh, $6 million to $10 million for its construction."
Sherwood Design Engineers, which employs the trio behind the website, is undertaking feasibility studies, and, yes, there's a Kickstarter.
FULL STORY: A swimming hole for Houston gets closer to reality
Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane
The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.
Is Your City Swimmable?
An interview with organizers of the inaugural Swimmable Cities Summit, which took place this June 22-24 in Rotterdam, NL.
Housing Vouchers as a Key Piece of Houston’s Housing Strategy
The Houston Housing Authority supports 19,000 households through the housing voucher program.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie