Land Use Changes Allow for Development Wave Near the Texas Medical Center

New leadership at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, along with new land use covenants, is paving the way for unprecedented development in the highly trafficked area.

1 minute read

September 22, 2016, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Houston

Silvio Ligutti / Shutterstock

"Parking lots and grassy patches are interspersed with non-descript office buildings and medical towers along Old Spanish Trail, one of Houston's main arteries into the gleaming Texas Medical Center," according to an article by Erin Mulvaney, to describe the context for a story about change coming to the area.

Land-use covenants allowed the Medical Center to flourish into the world's largest health care complex, but they also discouraged private enterprises from catering to the 100,000 people who work there and the more than 8 million guests, patients and family members who use it each year.

That's the old way of life in the area, but change is coming, according to Mulvaney:

Signs offering real estate for sale suggest change may be coming. Construction cranes herald such projects as a high-rise apartment building and a luxury hotel along with several major medical expansions. Brokers are actively marketing large parcels of land for a revitalization that is considered long overdue. They envision top-notch restaurants, residential complexes and new places to shop.

The article maps out the potential development investments and describes the hopes for how the investment might impact the local and regional economy.

Saturday, September 17, 2016 in Houston Chronicle

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

People biking along beach path with moored ship in San Diego, California.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan

The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

May 2 - SD News

Sleeping in Public

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts

Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

May 2 - KSL

Conductor walks down platform next to Amtrak train at station in San Jose, California.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement

An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

May 2 - Streetsblog USA

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.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO