The Evolving Urban Form: Houston

[mhays]

My points here about Houston have very little to do with how it was originally built. TODAY'S infill isn't very urban.

[Reverberation]

Originally Posted by mhays

My points here about Houston have very little to do with how it was originally built. TODAY'S infill isn't very urban.

Maybe "suburban" by Japanese standards, but I would consider that "urban" by post-war American standards.

A city exists because it serves the needs and lifestyles of its citizens. Modern cities serve modern lifestyles and for most people that means putting access over purity. As those buildings age, many will be converted to restaurants, apartments, shops, and then probably back into houses depending on market cycles. Sidewalks will be completed when the city catches up. Eventually we will be left with narrow zig-zagging driveways and lanes running between wall to wall buildings and connecting the streets. Commercial strips will become walkable when the current building stock becomes obsolete, tenant leases burn off, and property owners cash in on their newly appraised values. Commercial leases are anywhere from 5-20x longer than apartment leases, thus commercial urbanization happens more slowly.

Houston is rapidly adapting its form to serve a larger population that likes to walk AND drive as opposed to some niche of a niche of a niche of a subset of urban planning purists who believe that the evolution of the built form should have ceased in 1900. It could be worse though, at least nobody is waxing poetic about how the only "truly urban" cities are the ones surrounded by high walls to fend off spears and arrows.

[mhays]

Lots of cities are infilling with urban projects, and transitioning to more urban forms. Era is not an excuse.

How about this idea: Let most apartments come with parking, but allow developers to take the chance that some craaazy tenants might not have cars or need parking. Maybe even go totally nuts and let new townhouses drop down to one space per unit. See what happens.

[ChargerCarl]

Houston is pretty much the only major American city building missing middle housing en masse, which is why I love it so much.

[TexasPlaya]

Originally Posted by mhays

Lots of cities are infilling with urban projects, and transitioning to more urban forms. Era is not an excuse.

And geography. There's a reason why Phoenix, DFW, and Atlanta have similar built form. However, era is very important along with geography. Seattle has good old bones and geography that lends itself to more compact living. Plus you legislate it as well.

How about this idea: Let most apartments come with parking, but allow developers to take the chance that some craaazy tenants might not have cars or need parking. Maybe even go totally nuts and let new townhouses drop down to one space per unit. See what happens.

Minimum parking standards vary between locations in Houston. Developments in the core request variances for setbacks and minimum parking, so clearly Houston could handle having less parking....

I do think that minimum setbacks and parking are wasteful and pandering and it's ironic how Houston is hailed as some libertarian fantasy.

[ChargerCarl]

Originally Posted by Reverberation

Maybe "suburban" by Japanese standards, but I would consider that "urban" by post-war American standards.

A city exists because it serves the needs and lifestyles of its citizens. Modern cities serve modern lifestyles and for most people that means putting access over purity. As those buildings age, many will be converted to restaurants, apartments, shops, and then probably back into houses depending on market cycles. Sidewalks will be completed when the city catches up. Eventually we will be left with narrow zig-zagging driveways and lanes running between wall to wall buildings and connecting the streets. Commercial strips will become walkable when the current building stock becomes obsolete, tenant leases burn off, and property owners cash in on their newly appraised values. Commercial leases are anywhere from 5-20x longer than apartment leases, thus commercial urbanization happens more slowly.

Houston is rapidly adapting its form to serve a larger population that likes to walk AND drive as opposed to some niche of a niche of a niche of a subset of urban planning purists who believe that the evolution of the built form should have ceased in 1900. It could be worse though, at least nobody is waxing poetic about how the only "truly urban" cities are the ones surrounded by high walls to fend off spears and arrows.

The problem with Houston (and pretty much every city int he US) isn't that the local population wants to drive, but that the government FORCES that option upon them through land use regulations. This is something that should be determined by the private market.

[TexasPlaya]

Originally Posted by ChargerCarl

Houston is pretty much the only major American city building missing middle housing en masse, which is why I love it so much.

It is at the expense of the infrastructure to support it many cases.

I think balance is often a very underrate attribute as usually it's the extremes that get most of the attention.

[ThePhun1]

Originally Posted by Xing

As city lovers, if you're going to pass up a dense, iconic city like Philadelphia, then you Houston forumers, as city lovers, need to get on your city leaders to step it up. You can keep the bar low, or you could raise it high. We know what big cities are suppose to be like, and much like LA was several decades ago (its waaaaay better now), Houston should criticize and expect more from its leaders. Look at LA's transportation system. It's art scene has exploded. Culture , and neighborhoods are improving. All these things could happen to Houston too. If you expect mediocrity, you'll get it.

Houston is fine and developing very well. There is some urban blight in a few areas (what place doesn't have that?) but the city hasn't hit a slump as did many areas up north, at least not in a number of decades.

The city has learned from its mistakes and now people can choose to live a traditional urban experience, drive through an auto-centric paradise or live in a far flung suburb or country town (possibly commuting in).

As I always do, I apologize Houston didn't develop as a factory/port town long before the car with tight geography, housing and industry. I'm sorry it lacks a section of town that has an iconic image that goes good on postcards or with rich people and supermodels walking around. It's not perfect, I'm a sharp critic of many things but to hear some urban enthusiasts tell it, Houston is the worst place on earth. In reality, it's a nice place to get virtually whatever you want out of an urban experience except maybe mountain climbing/hiking.

[ThePhun1]

Originally Posted by LA21st

The huffington post article is ALWAYS mentioned.

Do you really believe houston is more diverse than la and nyc?
Thats like saying its the most diverse on the planet.

Houston, Texas.

Yea. Sure.

I'm guessing you haven't spent much time around here. Next time you're here, make sure you head to the Galleria shopping mall. You might be in shock.

Even in the small town I currently reside in north of Galveston, I encounter people of all backgrounds almost daily (I more or less did today).

Originally Posted by ChargerCarl

The problem with Houston (and pretty much every city int he US) isn't that the local population wants to drive, but that the government FORCES that option upon them through land use regulations. This is something that should be determined by the private market.

It has to be in demand. People don't demand it, so it's not popular. If people wanted, they could live a dense, walkable urban lifestyle that you guys love and apartment towers would go up en masse and line the skyline along the rail lines. People choose not to and favor McMansions in master planned communities way out in the boonies. It's just how people in Houston like to live.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by ChargerCarl

Houston is pretty much the only major American city building missing middle housing en masse, which is why I love it so much.

Wouldn't pretty much every Sunbelt city be doing the same? Certainly Dallas, Austin, Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Nashville, Orlando have the same relative development volume/patterns.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by JManc

Of course the usual suspects are going to chime in a Houston and remind themselves it's not a real city and then proceed to compare it to real cities.

No one said that Houston isn't a "real city". It's as real as any city, obviously.

The point is that it isn't a traditionally urban city, and isn't "transitioning" to a traditionally urban city. It has the prototypical Sunbelt development patterns.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by Reverberation

Crawford along with others who keep nagging Houston for it's auto-centric development style will never be happy.

You're projecting.

I'm not "unhappy" with anything re. Houston. I don't particularly care how Houston grows. I have no involvement with the city except occasional airport transfers, and I have no problem with people preferring Houston-style development patterns.

My only point is that certain people in this thread are pushing a non-existent premise- Houston isn't "transitioning" to some different type of city.

This is the kind of nonsense that is simply fabricated. What does this even mean?:
"Thus the urban form is evolving into a 21st century form and Houston is its American incubator."

[Eightball]

Originally Posted by Double L

Uh, I like Houston way better than LA or Philadelphia. Houston has a way better economy, is more prosperous, has more money,

Making up stuff is fun. Houston had many months of negative economic growth in 2016 (if you want a cite lemme know but you are well versed I'm sure) and California has been beating Texas on job growth for the past 2 years. IE http://www.politifact.com/texas/stat...-texas-creati/ (this link only cites data for one year but if need be I can provide more)

Plus, the city is more car friendly and easier to drive

Anyways I've visited Houston at least 20 times and always had a great time. Great food and friendly people. It is simply not walkable by any stretch tho. For instance the sidewalks are such a mess in the residential neighborhoods near Rice Village so as to be useless with a stroller. We had to walk in the street instead because they were so uneven. And then when you get to the commercial part of the neighborhood there are hardly any sidewalks and endless cars stuffed nearly on top of them. This is just one neighborhood but I've experienced similar in many there. Plus, you don't often see people walking around. Or biking for that matter

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by ThePhun1

I'm guessing you haven't spent much time around here. Next time you're here, make sure you head to the Galleria shopping mall. You might be in shock.

Even in the small town I currently reside in north of Galveston, I encounter people of all backgrounds almost daily (I more or less did today).



It has to be in demand. People don't demand it, so it's not popular. If people wanted, they could live a dense, walkable urban lifestyle that you guys love and apartment towers would go up en masse and line the skyline along the rail lines. People choose not to and favor McMansions in master planned communities way out in the boonies. It's just how people in Houston like to live.

Again, theres no way in hell houston is more diverse than nyc and la.
Not even close.

You have to prove, somehow, it has more nationalties than those two giants.
Until then, it makes no sense. At all.

Houston people love to bring up its vietnamese population. La metro has far more. So what else do you got?
Chinese?
What?

[JManc]

^ I think you trolled enough in this thread. We get your point. Move on...

Originally Posted by Crawford

No one said that Houston isn't a "real city". It's as real as any city, obviously.

The point is that it isn't a traditionally urban city, and isn't "transitioning" to a traditionally urban city. It has the prototypical Sunbelt development patterns."

What exactly is an urban city? It's a city. It's not New York, it's not LA or Chicago...it's Houston. It's certainly evolving but it will never be anything than it already is...a car oriented city.

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by JManc

^ I think you trolled enough in this thread. We get your point. Move on...



What exactly is an urban city? It's a city. It's not New York, it's not LA or Chicago...it's Houston. It's certainly evolving but it will never be anything than it already is...a car oriented city.

Im just responding to two strange statements.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by LA21st

Im just responding to two strange statements.

...that Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the country. Not strange, it just doesn't fit your narrative.

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by JManc

...that Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the country. Not strange, it just doesn't fit your narrative.

No, thats its more diverse than la and nyc.
Thats very strange

[ThePhun1]

Originally Posted by LA21st

Again, theres no way in hell houston is more diverse than nyc and la.
Not even close.

You have to prove, somehow, it has more nationalties than those two giants.
Until then, it makes no sense. At all.

Houston people love to bring up its vietnamese population. La metro has far more. So what else do you got?
Chinese?
What?

You say no way in hell but don't prove it. I will say I have my doubts but Houston stacks up when it comes to diversity to anywhere in the US, including the big two (except for raw numbers). Hard to believe because Houston isn't on the short list of most popular cities internationally, not even in North America but true. Houston, along with Miami, is the US gateway to Caribbean and Latin America, has close ties with the UAE due to oil interests and has a sizable Nigerian population. I don't know about specific Asian demographics such as Vietnamese but they are all visible, from the Indian subcontinent to East Asia. Heck, they're visible in this small town that I'm in.

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by ThePhun1

You say no way in hell but don't prove it. I will say I have my doubts but Houston stacks up when it comes to diversity to anywhere in the US, including the big two (except for raw numbers). Hard to believe because Houston isn't on the short list of most popular cities internationally, not even in North America but true. Houston, along with Miami, is the US gateway to Caribbean and Latin America, has close ties with the UAE due to oil interests and has a sizable Nigerian population. I don't know about specific Asian demographics such as Vietnamese but they are all visible, from the Indian subcontinent to East Asia. Heck, they're visible in this small town that I'm in.

Ill prove it later. Its not hard to show its not more diverse than nyc and la.