The Post-Harvey Houston Needs To Get Denser And More Urban (Kaufman: 2015, tax)

[Thoreau424]

Houston isn't going to increase its population density, and won't decrease its sprawl. That's fairyland stuff. No storm, internet link, article, report, or talking head will change that.

[Texyn]

The assessment simply states what's best for the city given the facts established from these repeated flood events. It has zero to do with what I or anyone else prefers. No matter how you slice it, Houston would handle its floods even better than it already does if it takes on a high density model as described in the article. Get rid of the parking requirements, and watch that urbanization begin. And you know what the best part is? It's actually cheaper to infill without the parking requirements.

Now, it's okay if some like the suburban lifestyle. But, adjustments and paradigm shifts of some type will still be required going forward. This is reality, and no amount of knee-jerk fuss will change that.

[Matadora]

Originally Posted by WRM20

Fortunately, our inner loop neighborhood has deed restrictions that prohibit lot splitting for more density.

That's smart of the inner loop!

Urbanization is not attractive.

• Intensive urban growth can lead to greater poverty, with local governments unable to provide services for all people.
• Concentrated energy use leads to greater air pollution with significant impact on human health.
• Automobile exhaust produces elevated lead levels in urban air.
• Large volumes of uncollected waste create multiple health hazards.
• Urban development can magnify the risk of environmental hazards such as flash flooding.
• Pollution and physical barriers to root growth promote loss of urban tree cover.
• Animal populations are inhibited by toxic substances, vehicles, and the loss of habitat and food sources.

Urban Threats

Sadly as the world population continues to grow at the rate it's growing, we will see more and more stacked housing situations all around the globe, along with the filth that comes with urbanization.

[NigerianNightmare]

Originally Posted by Matadora

That's smart of the inner loop!

Urbanization is not attractive.

• Intensive urban growth can lead to greater poverty, with local governments unable to provide services for all people.
• Concentrated energy use leads to greater air pollution with significant impact on human health.
• Automobile exhaust produces elevated lead levels in urban air.
• Large volumes of uncollected waste create multiple health hazards.
• Urban development can magnify the risk of environmental hazards such as flash flooding.
• Pollution and physical barriers to root growth promote loss of urban tree cover.
• Animal populations are inhibited by toxic substances, vehicles, and the loss of habitat and food sources.

Urban Threats

Sadly as the world population continues to grow at the rate it's growing, we will see more and more stacked housing situations all around the globe, along with the filth that comes with urbanization.

You know when they talk about urban growth, they literally mean any growth that isn’t rural or no growth. So building a street with 20 houses on 20 acres would be “urban growth”. It isn’t talking about dense city development in an already built up area. Which is what is being proposed.

[jerbear30]

Originally Posted by Thoreau424

Houston isn't going to increase its population density, and won't decrease its sprawl. That's fairyland stuff. No storm, internet link, article, report, or talking head will change that.

I don't know if the city will "decrease" its current sprawl, but it may certainly decrease the rate of sprawl going forward. I also think the city will definitely increase density going forward and that's a good thing. If you're for Houston becoming more like a northeastern city in the conventional mold, it's probably not going to happen--I'll grant that--but there's no reason that we can't get smarter and more careful about our planning going forward.

[DabOnEm]

Originally Posted by predatorprey

Name a city that is dense and affordable.

Name a city that has survived 50 inches of rain without major flooding.

Chicago...in the good areas too.

[gwarnecke]

Houston has already densified considerably over the past decade or two, via three main mechanisms:

#1 Demolition of single-family homes in non-deed-restricted neighborhoods and subdivision of the lot into ~2-8 smaller lots, on which 2-3 story infill single-family homes are built.

#2 Redevelopment of disused or blighted industrial sites into apartments or infill single-family homes.

#3 Redevelopment of outdated low-rise apartments into mid-rise or high-rise apartments or condos.

I foresee all three of these mechanisms to continue adding to Houston's density in the coming decades, although #1 will probably be the first to run its course. The majority of single-family homes outside of Loop 610 are in deed-restricted communities that will NOT allow lots to be subdivided. Changing deed restrictions to allow higher density is doable but very difficult, as current residents are generally incentivized to ensure that the status quo is maintained (to protect property values, maintain green space, mitigate traffic/parking concerns, etc).

The greater Houston metropolitan area currently offers residents a plethora of choices when it comes to housing density - I predict that this will still be the case in 50 years (and I'm grateful for it).

As for dense communities being more flood-resistant...it's complicated. Less sprawl is good in the macro sense, but less impervious cover (associated with higher density) is generally not good in a micro sense. Higher property values associated with higher density should theoretically generate more money for flood control infrastructure, but I wouldn't hold my breath for the tax revenues to actually flow in that direction...

[oceangaia]

Originally Posted by DabOnEm

Chicago...in the good areas too.

Dude, we're talking about rainfall in a storm not annual precipitation.

Chicago Precipitation Records

[SIZE=5]Chicago’s Precipitation Records[/SIZE]


[CENTER]Wettest and Driest Years and Months[/CENTER]
Wettest Year 2008 with 50.86"

[texas7]

Ugh — packed in even tighter than we already are. Already seems to be Patio to patio and hearing your neighbors conversations.

[Matadora]

Originally Posted by texas7

Ugh — packed in even tighter than we already are. Already seems to be Patio to patio and hearing your neighbors conversations.