100[D]WaysHOUSTON

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Over the course of 100 days I proposed 100 different ways to make Houston a more livable and sustainable place for ALL. I explored various ideas relating to de-velopment code, transportation networks, branding, housing, the environment, and whatever else my wan-dering mind thought of. The inspiration for my ideas came from many different sources such as precedents from other cities, past experiences, my education, and just simply original content.

I have gathered my ideas from my online blog and put them in this document. I hope that this document can be used as a way to promote these ideas, create discus-sion and, ultimately, action. I encourage readers take these ideas as a starting point and further explore sus-tainable solutions to make Houston a better place for everyone.

- Jesse Thornsen

100wayshouston.tumblr.com

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Table of Contents

Intro ........................................................................................................3

100 Days, 100 Ways .......................................................................7

Last 10 [What You Can Do] .................................................. 100

Links ...................................................................................................... 111

Thanks.................................................................................................115

706.23.13

My first solution is more obvious and comes from an obstacle I endure every week. All over Houston there are areas where the sidewalk will suddenly drop off, most likely because of curbs associated with driveway access for cars. Simply installing curb cuts with ramps at these spots will make it much easier for persons with mobility disadvantages and those bikers who are deterred by heavy traffic to access and utilize a continuous network of sidewalks.

*Disclaimer many of my future posts may involve Houston’s sidewalks :)

Sidewalk Access 1

8 06.24.13

Day 2’s inspiration comes straight from Paris, France. Houston may not have the Seine, or the romantic atmosphere, but Houston does have some great parks, both public and private. Though, great parks aren’t so great when there aren’t many people to enjoy them. My second solution involves the integration of “Les Bouquinistes” into some of Houston’s public spaces. The Bouquinistes draw people, break up the monotony, and also create a one-of-a-kind atmosphere. I think areas like the Waterwall, pictured here, would be greatly enhanced by the informality and liveliness that these street vendors bring, especially in areas with high concentrations of retail such as the Galleria.

Les Bouquinistes2

906.25.13

My solution for day 3 is for the City of Houston to establish minimum bicycle parking standards to promote more forms of alternative transportation choices (or if you’re like me, just transportation choices).

On the weekends my wife and I like to do small shopping trips via bicycle. For the stores that have bike racks installed it is super convenient to pull up, lock up our bikes, snicker with each other at the people still trying to find a parking spot, and proceed with our shopping. The problem is, many buildings don’t have any bicycle parking at all. Sometimes we can find a small tree or garbage can to lock our bikes onto, but it can really become a hassle. Being the Planner that I am, I looked up the City of Houston’s parking requirements, located here.

Looking at the ordinance, there are two short sections (26-496, 26-497) that deal with bicycle parking. In summariz-ing the ordinance, bicycle parking isn’t required for all uses, no bicycle parking is required for any use having under 5,000 sq. ft. of GFA (Ground Floor Area), and any building having over 150,000 sq. ft. of GFA is only required to have 6 spaces.

I think a more effective way to address bicycle parking is to do what the leader of bicycle transportation in the U.S., the City of Portland, OR, does. Establish a use table, just like for vehicle parking, but for bikes. Really give alternative forms of transportation a fair consideration.

Minimum Bike Parking Standards 3

10 06.26.13

Every morning I wake up I turn on the news (my local NBC affiliate), just to see what is going on in the world and in Houston. In the hour or so that it takes me to get ready, I have seen at least five different traffic reports. The traffic reports are useless to me because I don’t take a single Freeway or Toll Road to work. In fact, my commute is usually 9 minutes with traffic and stoplights (longer if there’s a train at the crossing). In my situation, I don’t get angry at ac-cidents on the Freeway, I usually end up saying a small prayer for those involved. I want to keep it that way.

My solution for Day 4 involves making the traffic reports in Houston more informative for everyone. Why not add an extra line and set of camera’s for the Metro Rail? Also, why not add warnings for train traffic that will disrupt circula-tion on local streets and Major Thoroughfares? I understand that air time is limited, so I will stop my list of suggestions there.

Traffic Reports for Everyone4

1106.27.13

It’s no secret, development is booming right now in Houston. Apartment buildings, townhomes, office buildings, and retail are all popping up everywhere in the city. All of this denser development in the loop is great.

Though, because of all of this development, many lots are being reconfigured, either being combined or subdivided, and the natural, organic features are often times wiped away in the haste of being the first to develop. My solution on day 5 pays tribute to Kevin Lynch.

Kevin Lynch has developed an analysis that explores paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks. Today my focus is on paths. There are an array of vacant lots in Houston, mostly due to land speculation. The beautiful thing about these overgrown lots is that, in areas of higher pedestrian activity, shortcuts in the form of beaten paths develop. These paths occur all over college campus’ and many times the grounds crew solution is, why not create a sidewalk? So this same idea is what I propose. Why not preserve these natural, organic paths in the name of easing pedestrian circula-tion? I would even go as far as to say, why not require developers to accommodate/restore these paths in their plans for development?

Preserve Natural Paths 5

12 06.28.13

The City of Houston is big, very big. It would be quite tedious for someone from Public Works and Engineering to go around and check all of Houston’s sidewalks. What if we could assist the city with locating areas of sidewalk that are in disrepair simply by snapping a photo of the problem with our smartphones? Currently the City of Houston has a page online where you can report problems such as these located here. But the problem with this is that unless you have a good memory, you will probably forget to fill out the form by the time you get home.

Day 6’s solution involves creating an app that reports sidewalk problems in a way that can be just as easy as snapping a QR code (we all know when we first got a smartphone we probably snapped 50 different QR codes for fun). I am not a programming expert, but I am pretty sure the logistics behind this app would be pretty simple. The user would pre-fill out their information in the app just in case the city would like to contact them. Then, once the user’s information is entered and stored in the app, all the user would have to do is snap a photo of the broken sidewalk and press send. The app would send the user’s info, the picture taken, and the GPS coordinates of the location all to the city where they would have an easy to read user interface to help address the problem.

One of the best things about this app is that it would address sidewalk repairs that people notice the most and com-monly come across. If multiple sidewalk users all report the same section of sidewalk, priority will most likely be given to that sidewalk.

Broken Sidewalk App6

13

The “feels like” temperature got up to 110 degrees in Houston today. This is probably the hottest temperature that I have experienced. You can bring a water bottle or two with you when you are walking/biking, but eventually you are going to run out.

My inspiration for day 7 comes from the city I grew up in, La Crosse, WI and an awesome place I have visited, Port-land, OR. In both of these cities you can find a bubbler on just about every street corner. I believe walking and biking in Houston during 100 degree days like today could become a little bit more bearable with the installation of bubblers at multiple locations throughout Houston. Also, with the installation of the bubblers, more people can refill their water bottles instead of buying plastic bottles of water. Since water would have to be continuously running in order for the water to be cool, installation of some type of runoff cistern along with the installation of these bubblers could be utilized.

06.29.13

Bring in More Bubblers 7

14 06.30.13

A very common problem I have when I am navigating the sidewalk is that many times I have to walk around a vehicle because they are stopped in the middle of a crosswalk. Not only is this a slight inconvenience, it can really become a safety hazard in particular situations.

The type of crosswalk that you are crossing on really depends on what type of street you are on (major thoroughfare, collector, local, etc.) and where you are in Houston. Some areas really do have some great crosswalks, while others need some major help. I believe that some common minimum standards should be applied to every existing and new crosswalk in Houston in order to promote safe crossing and enhance the pedestrian experience.

Some minor improvements to enhance the city of Houston’s crosswalks include:

•  locating the “stop” line at least 4’ away from the crosswalk in order to ensure an adequate stopping buffer before the crosswalk

•  including the word “STOP” in all caps to ensure that motorists are aware of the exact point in which they are to stop

•  increasing the visibility of the crosswalk itself using some type of parallel and perpendicular markings and/or decorative pavers

•  A thing to remember just as it is taught in driver’s ed, the stopping line is where you need to stop. Once stopped and you have ensured you won’t harm pedestrians, you then have the opportunity to move forward, closer to-wards the intersection in the case there are sight line issues.

8 Enhanced Crosswalks

1507.01.13

My solution on day 9 for a more livable Houston draws its inspiration from Candy Chang. If you haven’t heard of her, I would check out her website. She’s pretty awesome and more of my future posts will probably draw inspiration from her work.

Today’s solution is to crowdsource solutions from others. One person, such as me, can only think of so many ideas be-fore things start to repeat themselves and the focus is lost. Different people with different backgrounds and a diversity of life experiences bring so many ideas and opinions to the table. Citizen fueled redevelopment in the form of signs on redevelopment sites such as the one shown above gives citizens the sense that they are actually making a difference because they can physically see their words close to the project. Not only can someone see their own idea, they can also see the ideas of others and refine them or maybe trigger an “idea explosion”. Developers can also see these ideas; talk about a cheap form of market research.

(By the way, I wish this site was a mixed use project with restaurants and retail on the bottom and highrise apartments above it. I would love that to be located across the street from where I work.)

Citizen Fueled Redevelopment 9

16 07.02.13

There’s a lot of sun in Houston, why not harness more of it? In the Uptown District there are very large overhead street signs located above major street intersections. Besides looking awesome and telling people what street crossing they are at, I don’t know if they have any other purpose. I believe these signs could be utilized for more things such as housing solar panels.

Locating solar panels at street intersections would actually be quite ideal because there would be no buildings blocking sun from each direction of the intersection. Often, special zoning districts have to be established in order to ensure solar panels don’t get blocked by other taller buildings to be constructed. Since Houston has no zoning, this could be the next best thing. I’m sure these solar panels would harness enough energy to run the street lights, crosswalk lights, and other nearby electrical devices.

Solar Intersections10

1707.03.13

My solution on day 11 is to integrate technology into the city of Houston’s parks through the addition of park kiosks. These kiosks could serve multiple purposes relating to the park’s use.

First, these kiosks could be utilized for park reservations. Citizens could easily make a reservation for space at the park by filling out their information, what part of the park they would like to use, and for what occasion. By listing what the occasion is other park goers would know whether or not they would like hold their event at the same time in another part of the park.

For a small fee, maybe 25 cents an hour,these kiosks could also be used for charging small electronic devices like phones. People like to stay connected, park goers would be able to spend more time in the park without having to worry about their phones dying on them.

Lastly, what’s one of the best things after a long warm day at the park? Ice Cream! No, these probably couldn’t serve ice cream, but companies that sell ice cream and other cold treats could advertise on these machines and the kiosks could print coupons.

11Smart Parks

18 07.05.13

As Houston’s infrastructure continues to age, street repairs will be necessary in order to maintain a safe and functioning transportation network. The downside to improving Houston’s network of streets is that it is slowly erasing its artistic, detail oriented past. Many older streets within the loop in Houston have blue and white tile mosaic street names set into the curbs. Preserving these informative works of art in place most likely is unfeasible.

My solution on day 12 creatively reuses these mosaics while keeping them visible to the public in the form of street furniture. Not only would this solution preserve some of Houston’s history, it would also decrease the need for new park benches and the resources used to make them. I’m sure legs, arms, and backs could be made out a variety of dif-ferent materials.

Tile Mosaic Curb Benches12

1907.06.13

When it rains, it pours in Houston. Dealing with the stormwater runoff that is a result of these large storm events is quite problematic. Streets usually flood and there is an increase in the amount of pollutants in the waterways. My solution on day 13 is for the city of Houston to include urban vegetated swales into new road improvements. Designs like these are already in place in cities such as Portland, OR.

Benefits from these new swales would include:

•  filtration and slowing of stormwater runoff•  increased pedestrian safety by blocking oncoming traffic•  increased aesthetics•  reduce costs associated with the number of storm drains and piping required with traditional stormwater manage-

ment•  Not only can these urban swales be easier on the eyes, they can also provide an educational opportunity for citi-

zens.

Urban Swales 13

20 07.07.13

Day 14’s solution is aimed at improving the city of Houston’s connectivity by making some adjustments pertaining to intersections in the Ch. 42 Development Regulations. The current regulations on intersections can be found here. I propose to include intersection density requirements in addition to the current regulations.

New requirements that support an increased intersection density in new developments would make trips shorter, more direct, and more feasible for walking and bicycling. Older areas such as Midtown (pictured above), Downtown, and EaDo already support a high intersection density. LEED ND suggests an minimum intersection density of 140 inter-sections/ square mile to even be qualified to be a LEED neighborhood. I suggest this number be used to ensure all new developments won’t automatically be disqualified because their older counterparts haven’t developed to this standard.

14 Intersection Density

2107.08.13

The 15th solution is something that is already in place, but I think could be better utilized at a larger scale in Houston. Currently my wife and I have a kitchen compost bin that we put our compost materials in. We don’t really have a place to discard our compost scraps when the bin is full because we live in an apartment. When we moved to Houston I set up a meeting with the head gardener at our closest community garden and arranged for us to be able to discard these scraps in their compost pile on a regular basis.

I propose that these compost piles be more abundant and more available to the public. Strategically locating such composting areas close to large apartment complexes and large concentrations of other homes without yards would make sure that those who would benefit most from these facilities would have easy access. In the instance like ours, having the composting area in the same area as the community garden would provide urban gardens with nutrient rich compost.

Community Composting 15

22 07.09.13

16“This would be better if:” Fill in the Blank. This open ended sentence is part of day 16’s solution. The sentence could be completed many ways such as:

•  … it had music.•  … it was safer.•  … it was located closer to work.

The possibilities are endless, that’s what so great about open ended sentences. This type of on-site brainstorming al-lows citizens to anonymously make suggestions as to how something they use everyday, such as a bus stop, could be improved. Citizens often don’t have time for public meetings and workshops. Providing a means for input at the source is time effective, and is also a good way to advertise a public meeting in case the topic is interesting enough to make the meeting worth attending.

On-Site Citizen Brainstorming

2307.10.13

Day 17’s solution aims to bring more awareness to pedestrians crossing the street at crosswalks. One thing that I have noticed while walking in a crosswalk is that those drivers who are turning right or turning left become a conflict for pedestrians trying to cross the street. Drivers could watch the crosswalk signals at the opposite end of the intersec-tion, but it really isn’t in their line of site. I propose installing indicators in the middle of the road, in medians when available, that are at pedestrian level and make it more obvious when pedestrians are crossing the road. The indicators would be activated when the pedestrian presses the crosswalk button. Pedestrian visibility at night would also increase as a result of these indicators being installed.

17Pedestrian Crosswalk Indicators

24 07.11.13

Day 18’s solution proposes to separate the costs of parking from living costs. The cost of parking for residential units is often passed to the occupants indirectly through rent or the purchase price of a home. Sometimes this charge is un-necessary because an occupant may only have one car or no car at all. Those with lower incomes would also be able to live in denser, more walkable places if the cost of parking was separated from the cost of living. Further, occupants may have more of a reason to only own one car or no car if they knew they could save a good chunk of money by doing so. Making the costs of parking more transparent to those who actually use the space will also make occupants realize how expensive parking can be and that it isn’t a right.

To promote this type of parking situation the City of Houston could lessen the amount of parking spaces required to these developments with the understanding that this arrangement would exist over an extended period of time.

18 Unbundled Parking

2507.12.13

Day 19’s solution is about rethinking Metro’s advertising strategy. Currently most of the advertising I see for Metro is on the actual buses, which is great if you are already riding the bus. I think creative advertising campaigns like the one shown above could really catch the attention of those driving below or about to get on the freeway. The advertising aims to make Metro more attractive by letting drivers know about the headaches that they could prevent by riding. Boosting ridership on Metro would help pave way for more Metro Rail projects, thus even more convenience.

Creative METRO Advertising 19

26 07.13.13

I see it all too often in Houston, tree vs. sidewalk. Houston has some amazing old Live Oaks that can get quite massive and create a beautiful tunnel effect over tree lined streets and sidewalks. Almost every time tree wins until someone intervenes and decides sidewalk shall win by removing the tree.

In Houston, because of the heat, trees contribute almost just as much to walkability as an actual sidewalk does so hav-ing to decide a “winner” is quite difficult. Keeping Houston’s sidewalks accessible to all users is also very important. So, on day 20 I propose a solution to save both trees and accessible sidewalks through the use of rubber sidewalk panels.

This may sound a little bizarre but there are already a handful of companies out there that make these types of side-walks from recycled rubber. Rubber sidewalks not only resist cracking from tree roots but they are also pervious, al-lowing stormwater to flow through them, tree roots grow less invasively underneath of them because of increased air and water flow, they used recycled content, and rubber sidewalks are also better on our joints. Talk about killing five birds with one stone!

Rubber Sidewalks20

2707.14.13

Last time I recall, the quickest way between point A and point B is a straight line. This is the subject of day 21’s solu-tion. Often when I make a trip outside of the loop, and sometimes in the loop, I come across these winding sidewalks. Sure they look pretty, but when it comes down to their actual use they really aren’t that practical. You typically don’t see joggers running in a zig-zag pattern or bicyclists haphazardly swaying back and forth, so why do these sidewalks suggest such motion? I understand that in certain situations topography does play a role for accessibility reasons, but most times this isn’t the case.

I propose that most sidewalks should run in a parallel fashion with streets or when they are not running along streets that they keep a certain geometry that is more natural for human movement. Of course there will be slight variations, but form should most often follow function.

Straighter Sidewalks 21

28 07.15.13

Not everyone crosses the street at the same pace. Those with mobility impairments ex. wheelchair, walker, old age, and even parents with strollers need a little bit more time to cross the street. Heck, even I with no mobility impairments have a hard time making it across this intersection in particular.

Day 22’s solution proposes two separate buttons for crossing the street. One for those who can walk at a normal pace, and one for those who take a little bit longer to cross the street. The button could be located underneath the existing button (so those in a wheelchair can easily reach it) and would be coded such that everyone knows the difference. I think drivers can spare a couple extra seconds out of their commute to ensure that everyone can cross the street safely.

Handicap Crosswalk Timers22

2907.16.13

It’s no secret, the city of Houston has some serious issues with urban sprawl. Increased auto dependency, low-density, poor walkability, and degradation of the inner city are among a number of things that can accompany urban sprawl.

My solution on day 23 is to create a page on the city of Houston’s website that would promote urban infill develop-ment. The first step would be to create an inventory of vacant or currently underutilized parcels located within the core of the city. On the page there would be a map showing the location of all of these parcels so that a potential developer could easily search by location. Alternatively the developer could also search by the size of the parcel and the price. The page would also encompass a number of other important info as well such as information from HCAD, whether the parcel is in the flood plain, whether it is located on a transit corridor, what amenities are within walking distance, brownfield status etc… The City of Columbus, IN has put together a great infill profile site located here.

As a bonus, the city could also indicate whether a particular parcel or cluster of parcels would be a good candidate for a LEED ND neighborhood.

23Infill Site Promotion

30 07.17.13

All over the world people’s dreams and life-long passions have become a reality thanks in part to online crowdsourced funding platforms such as Kickstarter. Day 24’s solution takes this idea and applies it to the civic realm.

My 24th solution for a more livable Houston is the creation of a website dedicated to making civic projects happen in Houston. The idea of the website would be to allow multiple citizens back and fund projects such as playground equipment in public parks, tree planting along streets, business startups, etc… The structure would be similar to the Kickstarter platform. These projects would bring a sense of civic pride to a neighborhood because the citizens would be vested in these projects. Projects would be able to bypass most of the red tape in government because they would be privately funded projects dedicated to the public realm.

MakeItHappen Houston24

3107.18.13

Houstonians love their Cul de sacs. Suburbia, and even some urban areas, are peppered full of them. As much as I dislike Cul de sacs, except maybe in some rare occurrences, I understand that we can’t altogether get rid of them. My solution for day 25 tries to minimize the negative impact Cul de sacs have on street network connectivity. I propose that all new Cul de sacs should, at a minimum by code, include a 10’ pedestrian access easement somewhere around its radius that connects it with a greater pedestrian network. This would also require that developers and planners would need to put a greater effort into ensuring a community has a sense of pedestrian connectivity by showing how the ac-cess easement connects to the pedestrian network and doesn’t just dead end. Exceptions could be made in situations where natural and manmade existing conditions prevent a safe and desirable connection. Hopefully by executing this your son’s friend Billy doesn’t have to walk a half a mile to your house when in reality your backyards abut each other!

Connected Cul De Sacs 25

32 07.19.13

One of the parks I live close to is Levy Park. One thing I have noticed about this park, which I am sure is true for some other parks in Houston, is that there are poor pedestrian connections leading into the park. To the south of the park there is a long fence separating it from the businesses on the Southwest freeway feeder road and there aren’t any sidewalks coming in from the north from Richmond Ave.

This situation has caused lots of on-street parking during big events such as kickball games. With bus stops on Rich-mond Ave. and eventually light rail, pedestrians are going to need safe routes to access the park. How can we promote active, lively parks if we have no way of bringing the users in via active transportation?

Connected Parks26

3307.20.13

Currently METRO has one operating light rail line with others being either constructed or planned. One key area in Houston that is missing a light rail connection and currently doesn’t have any planned is the Heights. The Heights is a unique part of Houston and has seen a great influx of new residents, businesses, restaurants, bars, and artists. Bringing rail to the Heights via a light rail, street car combo wouldn’t be the first time it has been in the area. In fact if you look closely at old maps of Houston such as this one from 1895 you’ll see the Heights, which indeed is a planned develop-ment, has multiple street car lines linking it to downtown Houston.

The rail I propose for day 27’s solution works a little different than rail back then but it actually uses some of the same Right of Ways. Above you see a yellow line linking the brown and red lines together. This line would be light rail from the end of the proposed Uptown Line at the Northwest transit center down to the red line at UHD. Almost the entirety of the line would follow along Washington Ave., which has a promising future as a mixed-use corridor. The second part of the rail is the street car portion shown with the double orange line. This portion would run up and down Heights Blvd., like it did at one time, and it would end in the area of the old “car works” at the north part of the Heights.

I believe this project would give a great boost to the Heights area and I even believe a culture would form around the street car and the light rail. Bringing in these connections to the existing and planned light rail lines would also greatly enhance Heights residents choices for alternative transportation.

Heights Light Rail/StreetCar Combo 27

34 07.21.13

One of the main barriers preventing me from riding my bike to work everyday is the fact that once I get ten feet out of my door I am drenched in sweat. I would rather not have a sweat drenched pair of clothes all day at work. My solution on day 28 would address this issue.

My 28th solution involves the city of Houston investing in its active transportation network by integrating active transportation stops at key locations. Citizens would be able to ride their bike or walk/jog to work and not have to worry about their sweaty clothes, makeup, hair, etc… Among a number of other active citizen friendly features, these stops would include showers, locker rooms, bike storage, and drinking fountains. Key locations for these facilities would be the major employment centers: Downtown, Uptown, Greenway, Medical Center, etc… Designs would vary from location to location to reflect their districts. In areas such as downtown where space is a premium, the city could lease out space in an existing building. The stops could be designed to a LEED Platinum standard to ensure that utility costs are kept low and each building has as low as an environmental impact as possible. These buildings would also serve as examples for the rest of the city in their features and design. To support the active transportation stops Houston’s bike lanes and sidewalks would need to be upgraded to ensure that there are connections between residential areas and employment centers.

Active Transportation Stops28

3507.22.13

Oftentimes there are speed radar signs located around areas that typically have speeders. These signs usually display your traveling speed and the numbers flash or a red and blue light flashes when you are traveling over the speed limit.

My 29th solution is to take that same concept and apply it towards stoplights in Houston. Any trip that I make in Houston I almost always see someone either jumping a red light or running through a red light because they saw yel-low and increased their speed instead of reducing it. These red light runners are a safety risk not only to themselves but also to other drivers and pedestrians. I believe that by simply installing red and blue lights that flash when someone runs a red light will at least make drivers aware of the risk they are causing and the laws they are breaking.

29Stoplight Warning

36 07.23.13

Some bike lanes in Houston are fairly small (≤3’ wide) and the paint is worn away making them hard to see. Often-times these lanes are even mistakenly thought of as paved shoulders. My solution on day 30 is to make these bike lanes more visible. I am not proposing that every bike lane in Houston is painted like shown above, but I do feel that there is a need to bring attention to the smaller variety that tend to be overlooked. Filling in the lane with a color paint is a sure way to point out to motorists that the lane is in fact a bike lane. The paint would also make things that are block-ing the lane, like the trash above, more visible so that it can be properly cleaned up.

Bike Lane Visibility30

3707.24.13

HAR is the official website of the Houston area MLS and contains the most comprehensive Houston real estate listings and local data. For my 31st solution I suggest that one more category should be added to each listing, a transit cat-egory. Under the transit service category data could include whether or not there is a bus stop within 1/4 mile walking distance or a rail stop within 1/2 mile walking distance, and the number of weekday and weekend trips for each transit mode. By including this transit information home buyers would be able to compare homes in different locations and weigh their decision based in part on whether or not there is sufficient transit service to meet their needs.

HAR Transit Category 31

38 07.25.13

In Houston many of us have special workout facilities and we didn’t even know it. These facilities are most commonly referred to as stairwells… In many buildings these stairways are hard to find, poorly ventilated, dark, dingy, cockroach infested, and just all around boring. I work on the 11th floor of my building and try to take the stairs at least twice a week. More often than not taking the stairs feels like a chore because there is no experience in it.

Day 32’s solution comes from an article I recently read in which the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, is proposing to pass two bills that would encourage the use of stairs. In the article it states that:

“One bill would require new buildings to make stairs more conspicuous and post signs encouraging stair use. A second aims to change building codes to allow access to at least one stairway for non-emergency use at all times.”

The city of Houston could integrate changes in the building code that would encourage stair use by locating stairs near the building’s entrance, making stairs more grand, injecting natural daylight into stairwells, requiring better ventila-tion, placing artwork and playing music in stairwells, and/or adding more landing spaces to help those that are out of shape. It would take a combined effort from local builders, the Health and Human Services Department, and the Public Works and Engineering Department to make something like this happen.

Making Stairs Attractive32

3907.26.13

What if we could make our sidewalks more personal, bring a sense of ownership to them? After all, one of the reasons why people are so in love with their cars is because it is THEIR car. The nicer the car is, the more personalized it is, the more memories are had with it, the more apt someone is to have a connection with it, use it more, and take more care of it. My 33rd solution is aimed at bringing this sense of ownership and pride to sidewalks through citizen sidewalks. These sidewalks would give citizens a chance to, legally, leave their hand prints, name, and date in a designated area of a sidewalk by their home, their park, or their favorite place to hang out. The opportunity to pour new sidewalks is plentiful in Houston due to missing sidewalks, sidewalks with insufficient width, sidewalks with utilities running through them, crumbling sidewalks, etc… Hopefully an initiative such as this would spur the desire of Houstonians to have a better network of sidewalks that they can call their own.

33Citizen Sidewalks

40 07.27.13

Many places in Houston are in great need of bike racks but the owners of the property don’t have the funds necessary to install them. My 34th solution for a more livable and sustainable Houston is to provide city sponsored bike racks to these places in need. In particular, places such as homeless shelters, food banks, and other non-profit places could really utilize sponsored bike racks due to their clientele and a lack of funding. The city of Houston could also utilize this opportunity to bring some city branding to the streets of Houston through the use of branded bike racks. Not only could they install these bike racks at sponsored locations, they could also install them at city parks, libraries, city buildings, and any other civic place.

City Sponsored Bike Racks34

4107.28.13

At Iowa State University, my Alma Mater, they have installed around 50 solar trash compactors around the campus in areas where the typical trash can just isn’t big enough to hold all the trash. This leads me to day 35’s solution, installing solar trash compactors around the city at parks, bus stops, and other areas of high pedestrian traffic. One of the main benefits of having solar trash compactors is that they can hold more garbage, thus requiring less trips for trash pickup. Having the solar option means that they can be installed just about anywhere the sun touches without limitations to existing electrical outlets. These trash compactors are also more enclosed than the typical trash can so they would smell less and attract less bugs.

35Solar Trash Compactors

42 07.29.13

Back when walking was one of the dominate modes of transportation just about every commercial building was equipped with a canopy that covered sidewalks to protect pedestrians from both the sun and the rain. Over the years many of these buildings ditched the canopies for various reasons. On day 36 I propose that all new commercial build-ings that abut the pedestrian realm integrate some sort of canopy to enhance the pedestrian experience. I believe own-ers of existing buildings should also research ways that they can install canopies as well. Canopies not only provide a break from the heat of the sun for pedestrians, they also help block direct sunlight from entering through the windows of the storefront.

Building Canopies36

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My 37th solution involves the installation of cameras at Houston’s community hot spots such as at Discovery Green, community parks, the Houston Food Truck Park, and other frequently visited places. These cameras would make video available via livestream at a common website so that anybody and everybody could go ahead and see what’s going on.

It would be really convenient to have these livestreams when you want to know:

•  Which food trucks are at the Houston Food Truck Park before making the trip over (hopefully via foot or bicycle),•  If there is anybody on the neighborhood park’s football field so you and your friends could get together for a

game, •  If there is a kickball game going on that you would like to be a part of, or •  If there is a concert or any other events going on at Discovery Green.

There are many places in Houston were these cameras would be helpful and would either spare us a trip or get us engaged more in the civic realm.

37Houston Hot-Spot Cameras

44 07.31.13

Day 38’s solution points out a problem that the city of Houston is notorious for, sidewalk obstructions. Whether it be fire hydrants, telephone poles, parking meters, etc… Houston’s sidewalks are filled with them. The average person walking on the sidewalk can do some obstacle course type maneuvers in order to avoid these obstructions, but those riding their bikes, those in wheelchairs, and the blind, can have a very difficult time just going down the sidewalk. This isn’t just a problem with old infrastructure and sidewalks, it’s still being built like this today! Pedestrian Pete points out many of these obstacles in his videos on his website located here.

There are a number of ways to tackle this issue, I will just list a few of them here:

•  Establish a grass, or hardscape, strip in between the sidewalk and the road so that any obstructions can be placed there, obtaining extra Right-of-Way may be needed

•  Bury utilities underground so there aren’t any obstructions to deal with•  Narrow the road so that there is ample room for the sidewalk, “obstruction” area, and even protected bike lanes

Obstruction Free Sidewalks38

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Recently I came across a startling statistic about storefront car crashes while reading this story here. These storefront crashes, i.e. when a vehicle runs into the front of a store, often result because of ”peddle error.” These crashes can be fatal to shoppers, employees, and the driver. In the story it states:

“… gas and convenience stores around the nation could be experiencing as many as 20 storefront crashes daily, maybe more.”

My solution on day 39 is another one that attempts to “kill two birds with one stone.” Houstonians like to park as close to the store as possible. They would probably park in the store if they could. So rather than eliminating storefront parking, I propose the installation of safety bollards that accommodate bicycle parking (or looking at it the other way, horse parking). This solution would help prevent deadly storefront crashes as well as provide the much needed bicycle parking in front of Houston’s storefronts.

39Safety Bicycle Bollards

46 08.02.13

There is a large influx of citizens moving into Houston every day. Many of these new arrivals are people who don’t have any family or friends in the area. Day 40’s solution involves being more neighborly through helping new arrivals with moving in. For large apartment complexes/buildings this could mean sending out an email notification to all residents letting them know of their new neighbor, when they will arrive, and how they can help them move in. For neighbor-hoods that consist mainly of homeowners the HOA or some other designated neighborhood leader could spread the word through the use of door hangers, letting them know of their new neighbor.

Neighbor Move-In40

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The city of Houston is well known as the only U.S. major city that has no formal zoning code. Land uses in Houston have basically been left up to the market, with guidance of course. The same isn’t true for parking regulations in Hous-ton. Houston has set strict minimums on parking depending on what the land use is. Houston’s current parking code can be found here.

My solution for a more livable and sustainable city on day 41 involves taking the same free market approach and ap-plying it to the city of Houston’s parking regulations. Excessive parking supply can discourage alternative modes of transportation, reduce density, increase the cost of development, create an uninviting built environment, and degrade the natural environment, all of which Houston has some sort of issue with. Letting the market determine the number of off-site parking spaces doesn’t necessarily mean that parking will be eliminated, it simply means that the business, such as a new small restaurant focused mainly towards bicyclists, decides how many parking spaces they need. The city of Houston would still have regulations pertaining to parking landscaping, layout, location, pedestrian access etc… Handicap parking spaces would still be required as well.

Among a number of other social, economic, and environmental goals, hopefully with a market driven approach to parking the city of Houston would have more room for affordable housing, more money from parking meters of on-street spots, an increased use of alternative modes of transportation, and a more livable, walkable environment.

Market Driven Parking 41

48 08.04.13

Not all bicyclists are created equal. Like driving, some people ride bikes leisurely, some race bikes, some like to go on journeys, some use bikes for commuting, and others use their bikes for their job. Also like driving, different routes and roads are suitable for different purposes of getting around. On day 42 I propose a solution that is already in place in one of the world’s biking Meccas, Copenhagen, Denmark, located here.

Day 42’s solution aims at helping Houstonians find the optimal cycle route according to the purpose of their bicycle trip. Bicyclists would be able to plan their bicycle route by what the shortest route is, which one follows mostly bike lanes, which one stays away from busy streets, which routes are integrated with nature, and the routes that are nice and quiet.

Not only would this site help bicyclists determine a route that best fits their needs, it would also inform city officials which types of routes Houston is lacking. For instance, I know that Houston is doing a great job of building “green” trails along the bayous, but it is particularly difficult riding my bike to go to the grocery store, work, and other every day places of travel.

42 Bicycle Route Planner

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Day 43’s solution tries to improve upon a project that the city of Houston and txDot have already done. On the Southwest Freeway between Hazard St. and Montrose Blvd. it dips down below grade and allows the cross streets to cross over the freeway instead of under like everywhere else in Houston. Having the freeway dip under the rest of the neighborhood greatly enhances the feel of the neighborhood and creates less of a barrier.

I believe one way that this could be made even better is if the freeway became more of a tunnel with a long linear park over the top. This would diminish most of the barrier in between the neighborhood and provide a great recreational area that has the opportunity to really connect some of Houston’s great neighborhoods. The suburban driver experience would be slightly diminished if this portion became a tunnel, but Houston’s neighborhoods would be strengthened. I think the benefits far outweigh the negatives. Openings in the park could be placed strategically to allow natural light into the tunnel and create a viewing window for park goers to use (kind of like a human, or car, fish tank).

43Urban Freeway Parks

50 08.06.13

Day 44’s solution expands upon day 35’s solution by introducing solar recycling compactors in addition to solar trash compactors. During organized sports events and a long warm day at the park there tends to be a pile-up of water bottles, Gatorade bottles, soda cans, etc… Rather than having heaping mounds of these in the trash, why not toss them in a recycling compactor. The compactor would save space and would help prevent bees and other bugs from congregating around trashcans.

Solar Recycling Compactors44

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One observation that I have made while walking around Houston is that in many places, including downtown, the street lighting is out of proportion with the pedestrian realm. The lights are very tall and industrial and primarily focus on lighting up the street rather than the sidewalk.

My solution on day 45 is to introduce more pedestrian scale lighting into Houston’s streetscape. Installing new lights would give neighborhoods the chance to place lights outside of the sidewalks and would create a more “charming” and inviting atmosphere. The design of the lights would vary with each neighborhood to reflect its own identity.

45Pedestrian Scale Lighting

52 08.08.13

My solution on day 46 splits the bicycle community, but in my personal opinion I believe it is a good idea and that Houston should adopt it. My 46th solution in my 100 day challenge involves the establishment of bicycle licenses/registration for all bikes in the city of Houston. Registration wouldn’t probably cost more than $10 every or every other year. An existing department such as the permitting center could assume the administrative role. Some of the pros of bicycle registration include:

•  Helps prevent theft and makes it more likely that stolen bicycles are returned to owners•  Could be helpful in identifying injured or unconscious riders in accidents if they aren’t carrying an I.D.•  Money collected by bicycle registrations would be used for additional funds for trails, bike lanes, bike facilities,

bicycle education•  All bicyclists would receive information on proper bicycle etiquette•  Bicyclists could gain more respect from drivers because of their willingness to fund their own infrastructure

I think the most crucial thing about implementing a program such as this would be PR. The city would have to do a great job explaining the reasoning behind bicycle licensing and would have to prove results once the program is imple-mented. Dedicating a mile of bike trails or a couple blocks of bike lanes in the name of Houston’s bike riders would go a long way.

Houston Bicycle License46

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In Houston on just about every street corner where there is a crosswalk going both ways the sidewalk curb ramp that is installed is of the diagonal variety. One of the reasons for this is simply because only one ramp has to be installed instead of two. Diagonal ramps also allow for a greater turning radius so cars can go around a corner faster.

There are some problems associated with diagonal ramps and my 47th solution reinvents Houston’s corner sidewalk ramps to make them safer for all pedestrians. First I will point out some of the flaws associated with diagonal corner sidewalk ramps:

•  Sidewalk users have to walk a foot or two closer into moving traffic•  The larger turning radius that is a result of diagonal ramps allows cars to go around corners faster, becoming more

of a hazard to pedestrians•  Last, but most important, diagonal ramps point towards the middle of the intersection. Those with visual impair-

ments are often lead right into the middle of an intersection because the ramp leads them there

Installing corner sidewalk ramps that are perpendicular to the intersection lead those with disabilities to the other side of the street, provide more of a barrier between pedestrians and traffic, and decrease corner turning radii, thus slowing down vehicles.

47Perpendicular Corner Sidewalk Ramps

54 08.10.13

Massive open online courses, or MOOCs for short, are open access online courses aimed at large-scale interactive participation and are gaining popularity and acceptance around the world. These courses are free, work with your schedule, and can offer valuable learning opportunities. I have recently enrolled in a MOOC at Coursera titled De-signing Cities.

On day 48 I propose a Houston based version of this. The Houston Online College Collaborative would offer courses from TSU, UH, Rice, HCC, etc… that would be free to people with a Houston based Zipcode. Subjects would range greatly, all depending on a professor’s expertise, course objectives, and course demand. Like the typical MOOC model, all these courses would be free to Houston residents, students can set their own schedules (week to week), and no of-ficial grades would be given.

Houston’s Colleges and Universities would get something out of this too, increased enrollment. Many courses offered on this site could be introductory courses to actual courses taught at each institution. So rather than students bounc-ing around majors their first year, they might be able to make up their mind based on some free introductory courses taught online at a local institution. Houston would be able to build on its knowledge and also retain its knowledge.

Houston Online College Collaborative48

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Recently I came across a fun online tool developed by Code For America Fellows called StreetMix. It is a street-sec-tioning app that allows everybody to practice basic urban design. My 49th solution involves integrating this tool into city of Houston street improvements.

This citizen urban design tool would be very helpful in situations such as METRO visioning sessions and the HGAC Livable Centers Studies. Citizens could view the positive, or negative, impact bringing light rail or other transit and streetscape improvements would have on their neighborhood. This tool would also help citizens visualize the realities that come with fitting the proper streetscape improvements into a certain size right of way. With this citizen imagined urban design tool there is potential to have more backing from Houston residents as they can physically see their sug-gestions play into action.

Citizen Imagined Urban Design 49

56 08.12.13

50One asset that Houston is gaining more and more of is electric charging stations. These stations can be found at a variety of locations, especially grocery and retail stores. One problem that I have noticed with most of these charging stations is that they are located as far away as possible from the store’s main entry. This is no exaggeration. On a 100+ degree day a driver would have to just about be out of electricity or be very dedicated to park in one of these spots and go shopping. Heck, most drivers in Houston won’t even put their cart away in the cart coral 15’ away.

My 50th solution (halfway there!) aims at making these electric charging stations more convenient for those who could utilize them by simply moving them up to the front of parking lots closest to the store’s entry. Not only would this make it more convenient for electric vehicle drivers, it would also make electric vehicles more appealing because of their privileged parking status.

Convenient Charging Stations

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There are many planned communities, both big and small, in and around Houston. Many of these communities are separated from the public realm by some type of barrier wall. These walls come in a variety of materials, wood, brick, stone, etc… These walls not only separate these communities from the public, they also create a monotonous walking experience for those on the “outside”.

My 51st idea for a better Houston is for the city to highly discourage the erection of these barrier walls. Perhaps, rather than opaque walls being erected, all walls should have a minimum amount of openings or translucency. Many cities around the U.S. ban opaque fences and walls, Houston should follow suite. I believe that Houston’s communities would become less exclusive and more inclusive, something that I am always a fan of. Exceptions could be made in situations such as around drill sites, but for the most part Houston should be treating our public right of ways as an asset rather than an undesirable.

51Discourage Walled Community Barriers

58 08.14.13

Day 52’s solution is one that I am borrowing from the city of Boston, MA. On day 52 I propose that the city of Houston open up their very own city hall on wheels. The city of Houston is large, about 600 square miles. For some, making a trip to City Hall can really be out of the way. Being a building built to serve the public, there isn’t a whole lot of public inside. Besides making an occasional stop to get some sort of certificate or license, a Houston citizen will rarely step foot in City Hall.

Opening a City Hall To Go truck would serve Houstonians where they live, work, shop, and play. The truck would be able to rotate its service around different neighborhoods and would even be able to locate in neighborhoods where large controversial projects are going on to give citizens helpful information. Different services that the truck could offer would include:

•  paying parking tickets•  paying property taxes•  ordering/reloading METRO Q cards•  paying water/trash bill•  getting a dog license•  getting a library card•  requesting birth, death, marriage certificates•  registering to vote

City Hall To Go52

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•  submitting variance notice packages•  submitting 311 service requests

The list could go on and on. Citizens and visitors could also ask general questions about the city. With the truck’s presence on neighborhood streets, City Hall To Go would offer a personal and direct way for residents to interact with government. A truck like this would show citizens that the city cares enough about their residents by going out into the community in a friendly, helpful way. My solution for day 3 is for the City of Houston to establish minimum bicycle parking standards to promote more forms of alternative transportation choices (or if you’re like me, just transportation choices).

52City Hall To Go (con’t.)

60 08.15.13

When someone has lived somewhere for awhile they start to know a particular area. If they walk around enough they start to figure out convenient shortcuts between two particular interest points. These shortcuts can cut through build-ings, which is quite refreshing on a blistering hot day, alleys, vacant lots, etc… Not only do these paths save time, they often are more interesting because slight deviations can be made each time to change the scenery.

My 53rd solution aims to make these shortcuts more widely known to pedestrians by creating a shortcut wayfinding system. I believe by opening up more convenient ways of getting around on foot, people will be more likely to walk short distances rather than get into their car for a trip. Establishing such a wayfinding system would require a partner-ship between neighborhood organizations, businesses, tourism groups, etc…

Convenient Shortcut Wayfinding53

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One thing different than Houston that I noticed while I was walking around Dallas is that in Dallas there are very large scale advertisements placed on the side of buildings. Some people are against any kind of billboards and advertising in general, but I believe that, when done right, these large scale advertisements become an art form. They bring a sense of life and add to the street scene. Rather than looking at a windowless, dull facade, a passerby can view a vibrant ad for the latest product. These large ads can pull people’s attention off a vacant lot or parking lot and enhance the visual appeal of an area. Of course the city would have designated areas where these large-scale adds would be limited, and they could also regulate these ads to make sure they fit in with the character of their respective districts.

54Large Scale Building Advertising

62 08.18.13

Many METRO transit stops in Houston, especially in the Uptown District and anywhere where there isn’t a shelter, don’t have any kind of transit route map displayed at the stop’s location. This is ok for those who have a smartphone and those veteran riders who know how to get from point A to point B, but it isn’t for those who are in a hurry and don’t have time to look up the route, those who can’t afford a smartphone, and visitors and newcomers to the Houston area.

One thing that I have noticed that each stop does have is a sign that indicates which bus route numbers stop at each stop location. My 55th solution, which is inspired from my trip to Dallas, is for these stops to add a display box around the pole of the existing sign to provide an area to display route details and maps. This installation would not take up much more space, it would be cost efficient, and would be a good compromise to the current situation.

55 Increased Transit Route Signage

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I have recently come across a couple of articles that have shed light on the increasing need of funds for the Houston region’s wildlife centers. With more and more sprawling development around and outside the city of Houston the amount of injured, orphaned, and displaced animals is greatly increasing. Areas where growth is really firing up, such as Montgomery County, are seeing the most need for increased wildlife center funding.

On day 56 I propose that the city of Houston and all outlying municipalities, MUDs, counties, and all other govern-ing bodies develop a wildlife displacement fee. This fee would be assessed to any new development on previously unde-veloped sites. Of course, certain areas would be assessed differently according to their wildlife diversity. This fee could be a two phase fee that would charge developers up-front for developing undeveloped sites and then it could apply a yearly depreciating “wildlife displacement” tax on tenants and residents. Not only would the wildlife displacement fee increase the amount of funds these wildlife centers receive it would also incentivize both developers, businesses, and residents to build and live on previously developed land. I believe the tax would have to depreciate over time because as developments get older and older they eventually become “previously developed” sites.

* Photo Credit: Karren Warren, Houston Chronicle Staff

56Regional Wildlife Displacement Fee

64 08.20.13

My 57th solution is for the creation of community tool sheds. Back when I use to work for Habitat for Humanity I was trying to figure out ways that we could impact more communities. An idea that I had floating around in my head was to have some sort of community tool shed that individuals who didn’t own the appropriate tools for home repair could utilize. I believe a concept like this would be great for the city of Houston.

I could see these tool sheds in both low income communities and other inner loop neighborhoods where homes are modest in size. The need for something like this comes from individuals not having enough money to buy tools and supplies for home repair and also simply not having enough space to store these tools and supplies. A nonprofit like Habitat for Humanity would be a great organization to head this up. The nonprofit would first build the shed, then they would stock it with the everyday tools an individual would need to improve their home, and they would also provide volunteers to run the shed. Some sort of tracking system would need to be established to make sure that all the tools are returned. A very small fee would probably be utilized just to make up for the wear and tear on the tools. In order to figure out the best areas for a tool shed, a nonprofit can first do a trial run in several areas with a food-truck-like van. I could see sponsorships by some of the best tool companies such as Milwaukee, Dewalt, Snap-on, or Rigid.

57 Community Tool Shed

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Permanent access easements, or P.A.E.s for short, are privately maintained and owned street easements approved by Houston that provide for vehicular access throughout a development. Developers can choose to utilize this type of ac-cess instead of the typical public street to have a narrower “R.O.W.” width and less stringent design standards. P.A.E.s can also be gated.

My 58th solution aims to improve one thing P.A.E.s are usually missing, sidewalks. Currently, there is no requirement in Houston’s code of ordinances that requires developers to install sidewalks alongside P.A.E.s, unlike public right of ways. I believe that in most cases developers should be required to install sidewalks alongside P.A.E.s. An argument can be made for small single family developments with low trip generation volume to not include sidewalks and that could be so, but large office and commercial developments should provide sidewalks. Providing sidewalks within large office and commercial developments would ensure that employees can safely walk to lunch and do other daytime errands without having to walk on the driving lanes. The minimum width for these sidewalks should mirror the minimum width of sidewalks located alongside public streets.

58Sidewalk Lined P.A.E.s

66 08.22.13

On many college campuses around the country you will find blue safety lights/emergency phones scattered through-out the campus. These beacons provide a safe spot students can go to directly to call campus police. Reaching police through these phones can be much quicker than a cell phone because it is a direct call and the police will already know the location based on which phone the call came from. The blue lights also stand out and light up an area. Some stud-ies have shown that these lights can deter crime.

My 59th solution involves the city of Houston installing a system similar to those used on college campuses in areas of high crime activity, along frequently utilized paths, and in public parks in the city. Not only could these beacons have a blue safety light and emergency phone, they could also house cameras, sirens, and loudspeakers. Many may view a system as this unnecessary because “everybody” has a cell phone. The fact is that not everybody does have a cell phone. Some can’t afford cell phones and others that are vulnerable such many youth and elderly don’t own their own. Safety shouldn’t only be for those who can afford it.

Blue Safety Beacons59

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As METRO continues to develop Houston’s light rail network more and more connections will be able to be capital-ized on. One crucial link that is missing in Houston’s light rail network is a connection to Houston’s two major air-ports, Bush International and Hobby Airport. With Hobby being closer to downtown Houston, closer to residential areas, and having already established commercial corridors leading to it, it seems to be the obvious choice to receive the first light rail linkage.

On day 60 I propose two different options for a light rail connection to Hobby Airport that utilizes the already planned light rail lines. The first option (light green color) is an extension of the already planned green East End line. It continues down Harrisburg and turns down Broadway Blvd. towards Hobby Airport’s front door. The second op-tion (light purple) is an extension of the purple Southeast line and continues on Griggs, down Long Dr., then down Telephone Rd. Both of these routes go through residential and commercial areas but differ in which planned lines they connect to.

I originally thought the light green extension would be best, but the more I thought about it I realized it would be easier to get to UH, TSU, and eventually the University Line (Blue) if the light purple extension was realized. I believe both routes would get a rider to downtown easily. Whichever route METRO decides to utilize, the main thing is that a line is needed to bring in both Houston’s visitors and residents in a convenient and welcoming way.

60Hobby Light Rail Connection

68 08.24.13

When it comes to active transportation (biking, walking, taking public transit) there really isn’t one department in the city of Houston that is in charge. There are initiatives such as the Houston Bikeway program and green Houston and departments such as parks and rec and public works that all develop bikeways, trails, bikelanes, sidewalks, etc… but there isn’t one entity that is officially the leader.

My 61st solution for a more livable and sustainable Houston calls for the establishment of an active transportation division. This division would be located under an already established city department such as public works or maybe even planning. Tasks that the active transportation division would be charged with include:

•  Bicycle route planning•  Bike share system planning•  Safe routes to school programs•  Sidewalk condition inventories•  Bicycle/pedestrian to transit stop connections•  Bicycle/pedestrian wayfinding•  Developing sidewalk standards•  Developing bicycle lane/ bicycle path standards•  Coordination of all street improvements to ensure proper pedestrian/bicyclist circulation

61 Houston Active Transportation Division

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•  Active transportation outreach•  Identification of high pedestrian/bicyclist vs. automobile crash spots

I’m sure I could keep going, but you understand the point. Like many systems in our city, active transportation is multifaceted and deserves a division of its own. Active transportation should be treated as a serious form of alterna-tive transportation. I believe a multiplicity of departments at the city would be able to have some great input for the formation of an Active Transportation Division.

61Houston Active Transportation Division (con’t.)

70 08.25.13

When bike lanes are added to roads that were only originally meant for automobiles there will be some inherent con-flicts. These conflict areas can include areas where vehicle turning lanes cross over bike lanes, areas where bike lanes abruptly end, forcing bicyclists into traffic, and areas where designated bike trails cross a public street.

My 62nd solution highlights these areas of conflict so that drivers can be extra aware of the potential oncoming bi-cyclists that they may encounter. These highlighted conflict areas will also give bicyclists a heightened awareness by making them aware of the possible danger.

62 Highlighted Bicycle Lane Conflicts

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My 63rd solution is one that is already being implemented on some city streets downtown, but I feel should be imple-mented at a wider scale throughout Houston. On day 63 I propose that the city should integrate more travel lane stormwater drains into its ongoing street improvements. Streets with travel lane stormwater drains are designed so that stormwater drains away from the curb into a slot drain located in the travel lane. This design keeps buses and cars from splashing waiting passengers at bus stops and pedestrians on sidewalks when traveling close to the curb.

Not only do these type of drains bring water away from the pedestrian realm, they can also be safer for bicyclists travel-ing on the street because the bicyclist doesn’t have to worry about their tire being caught in a storm grate. An added bonus to these travel lane stormwater drains is that is allows for the curb to be short, thus creating a more walkable, accessible environment.

Travel Lane Stormwater Drains 63

72 08.27.13

Recently I came across an interesting story from Beijing China that was about recycling machines being installed at transit stops so that riders could cash in their used bottles and cans for a credit towards their transit fare. I believe this would be a great idea for METRO to utilize, and thus this is my 64th solution.

I believe METRO should utilize a concept such as this because it tackles more than one issue. Besides preventing used bottles and cans from entering the landfill these machines would:

•  lower the cost of public transit fares, potentially increasing ridership and making public transit more accessible for those who can’t afford it

•  increase the awareness of the value of recycling•  help keep our buses and light rail cleaner because people will be more apt to finish their beverage before they

board•  allow riders to have an extra free hand since they wouldn’t have to carry around their empty can or bottle

I think an added techie bonus to this system would be the option to track the amount of materials that you recycle through your METRO Q Card and to be able to load your recycling credits onto your Q Card as well.

Transit Fare Recycling Credit64

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It has been 50 years since Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. made a 17 minute speech about social equality and civil rights to a crowd of 250,000 supporters. His “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the most well known and influential speeches of all times. My 65th solution for a better Houston is in celebration of his iconic speech.

On day 65 I propose for the creation of the Freedmen’s Town Historic District. Freedmen’s Town, for those who don’t know (I didn’t know until today!), was founded on the south banks of Buffalo Bayou by previously enslaved people and their descendants immediately after Emancipation in 1865. Freedmen’s Town is located within the Fourth Ward and today is roughly bounded by Genessee, West Dallas, Arthur, and West Gray streets. Of the 530 historic buildings listed in 1984, when Freedmen’s Town received its Texas national historic designation, more than 500 have disappeared due to new development and loss of buildings to fire, condemnation, and removal.

The purpose of designating neighborhoods as historic districts is to preserve the architectural and cultural history of those communities that are deemed as significant to the City of Houston. I believe a community that was built and founded by freed slaves, once dominated the cultural, educational, and professional life of the black population, was home to Houston’s black doctors, lawyers, dentists, ministers, and teachers, and once had over 400 black businesses is significant enough to earn a Historic District designation.

Receiving this designation could save the neighborhood from being lost forever and preserves its character and brick roads.

Freedmen’s Town Historic District 65

74 08.29.13

Because I am traveling today, on day 66 an idea that I would like to promote is titled Thick Infrastructure: Reconnect-ing by Way of What Divides Us. This exhibition was put together by a team consisting of Ruqiya Imtiaz-uddin, Alex Lara, Rose Lee, Xavier Vargas, and Susan Rogers from the University of Houston Community Design Resource Cen-ter. The main focus of this exhibition is looking at how to make better use of existing spaces, how to give things more than one purpose, and how to use resources in an efficient way that adds value to our community. There are many great ideas here but the idea that I wanted to focus on most from this exhibition was the utilization of utility easements.

Utility Easement Connections66

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One thing that I came across in the Tucson area was a makeshift restaurant that was operated out of a food truck. One side of the building was open so that the food truck could pull right up to it and serve customers through the window. The building was cooler than outside and offered seating and a hand washing station.

On day 67 I propose that Houston should allow something similar to this and food trucks should utilize it. Instead of one food truck utilizing a building like this, I think a better solution would be for a venue such as the food truck park to invest in the building and rent out the prime spots to local food trucks. Both end sides could be open to allow 2 food trucks at once to serve customers. Food truck patrons would be able sit down if they would like in a cooler building. I believe renting out the space would be a better idea than having a permanent space because it would encourage a vari-ety of food trucks and would ease the fear of local restaurants having to compete. Also, instead of having a makeshift building, the building would be built up to Houston code and become an attraction itself.

Having a building location would also help potential customers know where they will always be able to find a food truck.

67Food Truck Rental Space

76 08.31.13

While traveling through Tucson I noticed an area that had wind turbines on top of their light poles. I thought this was a good idea and I figured I could expand on it for my 68th solution for a better Houston. In addition to having turbines on top of the light poles I think it would be a good idea to install solar panels as well. As shown in the picture above, I believe keeping a sense of pedestrian scale in the pedestrian realm would make this lighting inviting. Not only would these electricity producing light poles be more sustainable, they would also be symbolic of the city of Houston, the energy capital of the world.

68 Electricity Producing Light Poles

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Many people have criticized downtown Houston’s tunnels for robbing street life from downtown. On day 69 I would like to promote the ideas of Bryony Roberts in her exhibition “Lobby Urbanism” that looks at trying to solve this problem. Bryony analyzes the existing tunnel network in downtown Houston, particularly focusing on tower lobbies where street and tunnel traffic intersect. Bryony provides suggestions for how the lobbies can be redesigned to serve as a richer source of public space in downtown Houston. Bryony’s perspectives on the system’s vertical, multi-level spaces really do a good job of looking at how we can make downtown a more livable, walkable, and vibrant place to be.

69Better Tunnel Network/ Street Network Connections

78 08.03.13

When your favorite store is on the opposite side of the street and there is no cut in the median or no turning lane the easiest thing to do is to make a u-turn. This is easy enough if you are driving, but if you are riding your bike in a bike lane or as close to the shoulder as practical (which is the ordinance) getting to that destination on the other side of the street can be hazardous. My solution on day 70 looks at making bicycle u-turns both convenient and safer.

By designating an area in between the crosswalk and the vehicle stopping line as a bike u-turn lane it allows bicycle riders to safely turn around the other direction. This lane would also make it easier for bicyclists to navigate from the bike lane to the left turn lane. Pedestrian/bicycle conflicts will also be reduced by making the bicycle u-turn area sepa-rate from the crosswalk. The marking would also provide a clear visible barrier between the vehicle stopping line and the pedestrian crosswalk.

Bicycle U-Turn Area70

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There are many large boulevards around Houston. Some have landscaping, some are paved over, and some are filled with trees. These boulevards aren’t here by mistake, they have been put in place to allow for future lanes to be placed inside the existing lanes and for aesthetics. On day 71 I suggest that rather than keeping these boulevards for future road expansions, why not utilize them for lanes of a different variety, bike lanes.

Many of these large boulevards range from 14’ to 32’ wide, plenty of room for a 5’ bike lane going in each direction. In areas where boulevards aren’t wide enough one traffic lane or turning lane may be sacrificed in order to create a nice landscaping area and new bike lanes. Median street trees would provide a shaded path and benches could be placed every so often if a bicyclist needs to pull over to take a break. Bicyclists would follow normal traffic signals to ensure safety and minimize the crossing of paths with vehicles. Left turns could be safer with this design as well because a bicyclist wouldn’t have to cross traffic in order to get in the left turn lane. For right turns some kind of system similar to the one I proposed yesterday could be utilized. Placing bike lanes in the city’s boulevards would bring Houston one step closer to having a comprehensive bike network.

71Boulevard Bicycle Lanes

80 09.05.13

Food trucks are gaining popularity in Houston and are a great way for aspiring chefs and entrepreneurs to start up their own business, but if a food truck operator hasn’t read through the proper city ordinances they may find themselves paying some hefty fines that could have been avoided. Operating a food truck isn’t as simple as buying an old bus, throwing in a grill and selling food to customers. There is a lot of behind the scenes paperwork and inspections that take place to make food on wheels possible, just like any other restaurant.

Because of all this behind the scenes work my 72nd solution for a more livable and sustainable Houston draws inspi-ration from Candy Chang’s collaborative project “Vendor Power!” The Street Vendor Guide translates the most com-monly violated vendor rules in New York City into easy to follow diagrams.

By creating a guide to running a food truck in Houston that includes checklists and visually appealing graphics that translate all of the city’s ordinances and procedures, starting up a food truck could be made easier and safer. It’s not necessarily that food truck operators want to avoid the code, they just sometimes don’t know that certain codes exist. A guide such as this could increase entrepreneurship in the city by breaking down some of the existing barriers i.e. paperwork and compliance.

72 Food Truck Guide

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On day 73 I propose that the city of Houston should establish a program in which buildings of different categories can compete against each other to see which building can conserve the most water and energy. By doing a little research I have found a program that exists in Denver, Colorado in which they have established a metro-wide sustainability program called Watts to Water that’s dedicated to the reduction of energy and water consumption. In the program, offices, hotels, medical centers, and multi-family buildings can compete within their own categories against each other to see who can reduce the energy and water use the most. My 73rd solution aims to bring a competition such as this to Houston.

Watts to Water Houston would use many of the same guidelines that Denver and its program partners have put together. By using the ENERGYSTAR Portfolio Manager, or a similar program, as a benchmarking tool, properties would reduce their energy and water consumption rates and be supported by free education sessions, technical sup-port, and rebate programs. Going above and beyond Denver’s program, I believe travel to and from the office should also be weighed in to energy use. Awards would be given to the best performing and most innovative participants. Strategies deployed by the winners would be published so that other offices willing to follow the same energy and water conserving practices may do so. A program such as this would teach participants how they could be more sustainable both environmentally and economically.

73Watts to Water Houston

82 09.07.13

Historically, public transportation, mainly in the form of streetcars, has played a key role in real estate development. Master planned communities outside of downtown business districts, such as Houston Heights, were desirable be-cause of their street car focused development. Commuters could easily and cheaply flow in and out of downtown via streetcar. Today streetcars have largely been replaced by personal automobiles. The convenience and luxury of personal automobiles has become more desirable than public transportation.

For my 74th solution I want to attempt to bring back the desirability that comes with living close to public transporta-tion by proposing a transit corridor home-buyer credit. The credit could be structured many ways and it would reward home buyers who chose to buy a home on a transit corridor or close (1/2 mile) to a light rail stop. For instance those who purchase eligible homes, i.e. single family homes, attached and detached, condos, townhomes, and cooperative units in the designated area would receive a voucher for a free year of METRO use. Apartment owners who choose to build in the target areas could offer cards to their tenants that would allow tenants to bill their transit fares to their rent at a discounted price.

Not only would a credit such as this make development around transit corridors more desirable, it would also increase METRO ridership, fuel dense transit oriented development, and increase citizens’ and developers’ desire to build a more extensive light rail network. As Houston’s light rail network increases it will be more convenient, thus eventually making it so that a credit will no longer be needed to make these transit oriented developments desirable.

* Image courtesy Venue Museum District

Transit Corridor Home Buyer Credit74

8309.08.13

When I attended Iowa State I was a Community Advisor (RA at most other schools) in the residence halls for 3 years. One of the things that can bring together a community of residents and create community pride is a common identity. One of the strategies that I used each year to establish an identity was to create a house t-shirt that residents could wear. I wanted to take this same idea and put a twist on it inspired by RAYGUN, an awesome t-shirt company based in Des Moines, Iowa.

My 75th (3/4 of the way there!) idea for a better Houston is the creation of a city branded t-shirt line. These t-shirts would celebrate what makes Houston and it’s neighborhoods unique, quirky, crazy, and just plain awesome. Residents of these neighborhoods could provide ideas to this company/entity in exchange for a free shirt if their idea is selected. I believe a t-shirt line such as this would increase community pride and Houstonian’s would be able to celebrate com-munity staples such as the Montrose Rollerblader, the Upper Kirby telephone booths, or the Beer Can House.

Community pride can do many great things for a neighborhood, lets celebrate the places we live and what makes them unique.

75City Brand T-Shirts

84 09.09.13

When walking and biking around Houston I sometimes find myself wondering which way is North, especially in the areas where the grid departs the cardinal direction orientation. My 76th solution tries to reorient pedestrians and bicyclists through the use of compasses located on each curb at an intersection.

These compasses could be stamped in freshly poured concrete, painted, or even be a medallion inset. Either way, I believe that having these compasses located throughout Houston would make for a more pedestrian friendly environ-ment. Kids would also be able to learn the value of knowing their cardinal directions. The designs of the compasses could reflect each district that they are in and maybe even be accompanied by some sort of list pointing to major at-tractions.

Compass Bearing Intersections76

8509.10.13

I’m not the only one who has ideas about how to make Houston a more livable and sustainable city for everyone. This has been made evident to me by the emails of support and suggestions that I have received (I do encourage feedback). Because of this, for day 77 I suggest that the city of Houston holds a city-wide day of tactical urbanism. Tactical urban-ism, for those who don’t know, is comprised of small-scale actions serving a larger purpose and is based on the idea of improving the livability of our cities. Examples of tactical urbanism can be found in Mike Lydon’s guide Tactical Ur-banism: Short-term Action, Long-term Change. I have had the privilege of meeting Mike Lydon and briefly discussing with him particular strategies for Tactical Urbanism.

On this city-wide Tactical Urbanism day Houstians would be able to display their best efforts of how to improve the city of Houston. Of course, the city would advise citizens to make safe and non-destructive improvements. The city could even supply spray chalk, wood, sod, plants, and other items to be used on Tactical Urbanism day. To coincide with Tactical Urbanism day another Houston Better Block event could be held as well to celebrate small scale actions to bring large scale change. In addition to city representives exploring the city this day, to support Tactical Urbanism day, the city could also have a portal where residents could upload their ideas, the location, and a brief description. Whether it be guerrilla gardening, parkleting, bench bombing, or simply pointing out an area that could desperately use a sidewalk, Houstians could have the chance to get their ideas notice.

77City-wide Tactical Urbanism Day

86 09.11.13

Recently I came across a nonprofit that believes everyone should have access to showers and sanitation. Lava Mae, Spanish for “wash me”, is located in San Francisco and is currently in the process of starting a mobile shower unit based in a decommissioned city bus to serve the homeless population. They have recognized that the homeless population is often lacking an adequate supply of shower facilities leading them to bathing in public sinks, outdoor faucets, or not at all. Alienation and suffering of preventable diseases are often a result of poor sanitation. This service leads me to my 78th solution.

On day 78 I propose that Houston should have a mobile shower unit service for the homeless population. Not only could homeless citizens wash themselves, they could also receive other information and assistance from these mobile showers. Because the homeless population isn’t just located in one part of Houston (there are concentrations here and there) and it is somewhat difficult to get around Houston if you don’t own a car and have little money, I believe mobile units like these would be beneficial if they showed up in certain locations at scheduled times in and around Houston. Sponsorships from places like Goodwill or Salvation Army could also mean that the homeless have a clean pair of clothes to change into once they are finished with their shower.

Mobile Shower Units78

8709.12.13

One of the most recent developments to Google Maps is the ability to go inside buildings on street view. Ranging from the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, to a local bead store in New York, more and more buildings are being added to Google maps. Most of these indoor panoramic views are done through a collaboration of the building owner and Google. On day 79 I think it would be great if every governmental building in Houston would have their own indoor street view.

On the surface this may just seem over the top, but I have my reasoning. Government buildings can be intimidating, many of them having security, large, sometimes unwelcoming, lobbies and a million floors, stone everywhere, sub-standard wayfinding, and things that you wouldn’t want to break. Walking into a government building for the first time to either vote, pay a bill, testify in court, or watch a public meeting can be even more intimidating because of the unfamiliarity with the surrounding environment.

I believe that having an indoor street view of all government buildings would help subdue some of the intimidation by familiarizing citizens with the environment they are about to enter. Not only would it make a visit less intimidating, a citizen would also be able to find their way around easier because they would already know what hallway to go down and what turn to take. Hopefully a solution such as this would be a little step forward to improving a relationship between the city of Houston and its citizens.

79Government Building Indoor Streetview

88 09.13.13

As Houston continues to get more dense, more and more businesses will continue to move into large multi-tenant buildings. In New York City where this is the norm Supermetric, a strategic communication design firm, has devel-oped a website called STACKD. STACKD recognizes the benefits that can come from working in a building with many other companies and tries to capitalize on their proximity to each other by creating a building wide network. On day 80 I think that Houston companies should begin utilizing a network such as this.

This Craigslist meets Facebook meets Twitter meets Yelp combo would create even more efficiencies than what already exists with multiple tenants operating out of one building. If one office in the building is upgrading their outdated, yet perfectly functioning furniture, another startup business located in the building could capitalize on the oppor-tunity and offer to take it off their hands. Maybe a business just moved into the building but needs to know what places around the area have the best catering service, all they would have to do is communicate with their neighbors on another floor to see if they have suggestions. Further, if one business is in a down time, but another is booming, the slower business could offer to rent out their conference room and a couple desks in order to help out the booming business. All these things could be made possible through an in-building network that improves our communication with the very people that we ride the elevator with.

Office Building Network80

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On the weekend when I need something from the grocery store quick that I forgot while shopping I usually end up just taking my bicycle. I end up taking my bike because often times it is more convenient, it is easier to find a parking space, and I don’t have to deal as much with traffic. Taking my bicycle to destinations around Houston is easier when I know the best way to get there. On day 81 I wanted to come up with a way that would inform more people of the most convenient way of getting to their frequent destinations via bike while also reminding them that bicycling is an option that they have if they choose to.

My 81st solution involves stores displaying Bike Here maps. On these maps it would have the store as the focal point with convenient bike routes from certain neighborhoods and areas in Houston that are surrounding the store. On these maps it could also display helpful bike gear that would make the bicycling trip more successful like having pan-nier bags. An added bonus that could be made available from the city is that if stores display a map such as this, they could lower the off-street parking requirement by 1 parking space as long as they have bike racks to accompany. Hope-fully by displaying a map such as this, some customers may realize that driving a car is not the only option.

81Bike Here Maps

90 09.15.13

My wife and I biked to the Astros game today from our apartment in Upper Kirby. The bike ride was not overly long, about 6 miles each way, but the combination of the heat and humidity, distance, and stopping and going at the stoplights timed for automobile traffic had us constantly grabbing for our water bottles. We had to drink out of our water bottles sparingly because we didn’t want to run out of water before we got to Minute Maid Park. This had us thinking, what if we knew of designated places where we would be able to fill up our water bottles easily? My 82nd solution explores that question.

On day 82 I propose that water bottle refill stations should be installed at the Houston B-Cycle Stations. These refill stations would serve both B-Cycle users and anyone else who needs to refill their water bottle after a long bike ride. Urban bicyclists would no longer have to ration their water to ensure they have enough to last until they get to their destination because they could look up on their phones or B-Cycle maps where the nearest B-Station is on their route and stop their. I believe installing water bottle refill stations at B-Stations is a good idea because these stations are already planned at strategic locations that are catered to bicyclists. By installing these stations bicycling will become more convenient and safe.

B-Station Water Bottle Fill-up82

9109.16.13

Houston has a large amount of surface parking, and parking garages with roof parking. Besides being a place where cars are stored, these parking spaces are largely underutilized. On day 83 I believe these spaces could be better utilized and be made more functional through the use of solar panel canopies.

Solar panel canopies are being installed over parking lots all over the U.S. and the world. Besides providing electricity to nearby buildings, these solar installations also block sun rays from beating down on the parking lot and the cars that occupy them. This parking lot in particular is home to the Urban Harvest Eastside Street Farmers Market on the weekends. Vendors and musicians that gather every weekend for the farmers market would be able to utilize the power that comes from these solar canopies. Shade and rain protection for the shoppers is an added plus from solar canopies.

Places where there is a sea of parking, Reliant Stadium for instance, would be able to generate very large amounts of electricity from solar power. What better way to promote a football stadium sponsored by an energy company than having a stadium that produces energy of its own?

83Solar Parking Lots

92 09.17.13

Not all maps are created equal. Typically when someone thinks of a map they think of one that labels cities, roads, bodies of water, and parks. Yes, these can be maps of themselves, but I really like to think of them as base layers to be used as a reference. To me, I am more interested in maps that display useful data or tell a story. I know that I am not the only one who has this viewpoint and thus on day 84 I want to introduce an open-source Houston based mapping service that allows Houstonians to map just about whatever they want.

I believe citizens should be given the chance to map whatever they want and share it with others, whether it be tennis shoes hanging from telephone wires, public benches, dead animals, places where the sidewalk ends, building demoli-tions, or local landmarks. Mapping random things isn’t only for fun. For instance, when someone decides they want to map every park bench in the city or their neighborhood any observer can start to see the areas where park benches are missing. A map of demolitions could possibly show areas in the city where there is a high concentration of rede-velopment.

Besides creating a story or identifying patterns, mapping specific phenomena and physical characteristics gets citizens to explore the city. One may start by mapping areas where community members post announcements in their com-munity, but this may spur them to locate other such areas in other communities throughout Houston.

Data would have attributes linked to each point, polygon, or line so that observers can learn a little more about each data point. The website would need to support both the uploading and downloading of shapefiles and Google .kmz files so that users and consumers can easily go back and forth between their mapping programs.

OpenMap Houston84

9309.18.13

Recently I came across a story about activating and creating great public spaces in which one of the strategies it listed was bringing activities that are already happening on a daily basis into public spaces. During late fall, winter, and early spring the weather in Houston is quite pleasant, some say that this is the reward for the heat and humidity during the other parts of the year. Despite this, most people still continue to keep their work inside during the nice parts of the year. On day 85 I encourage more companies to bring their work outside.

Bringing the office outside into public spaces would allow employees to connect more with their outdoor surroundings and it would do a great job of making Houston’s public spaces more active and interesting. In areas of high pedestrian traffic, passersby’s curiosity would naturally draw them in to talk about the work that employee’s would be doing. This conversation would create more connections, possibly create more projects, and maybe even open up someone’s eyes to something that they didn’t even know existed before.

This wouldn’t have to happen everyday, it could be at scheduled times maybe once a month in different public areas. Many office jobs rely on computers so going outside would either require working on laptops or using the opportunity to hold educational re-freshers for employees that would help increase their productivity and knowledge in their field.

85Holding Public Office

94 09.19.13

Let’s say you just got on the bus but you forgot your daily coffee on the kitchen counter at home. If you were driving you could easily turn around quick and pick it up. The same doesn’t hold true if you are riding public transit, you would most likely have to pay another fare to go back home and another one to go back to work. Your best option would be to pick up coffee along the way to work. It would be nice if you had a list of coffee shops available within short walking distance of each transit stop of the route that you are currently taking.

On day 86 I propose that METRO partners with local businesses located around transit stops and creates an app that does this. With an Along the Way METRO app riders would be able to get on the bus and make their trip more of journey than a ride from point a to b. An app such as this would also promote the fact that if a rider has a METRO Q card they can actually get off at a certain stop and get back on the same METRO route without having to pay another fare as long as they are traveling in the same direction and board within 3 hours of first swiping their card. Besides making the rider’s experience more worthwhile, this app would also promote businesses that are located along METRO transit routes.

Along the Way METRO App86

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Between 1911 and 1936 an electric railway running between Houston and Galveston existed that carried passengers back and forth between the cities. The interurban averaged around 1 million passengers per year, pretty good consid-ering neither city’s population was above 100 thousand at the beginning of its existence. Though, as the automobile became more popular, the use of the interurban dwindled and it was eventually shut down. With congestion getting worse and worse every year on the Gulf Freeway, and road widening acting like “loosening the belt to cure obesity”, I believe that for my 87th solution the Houston-Galveston Interurban needs to be reimagined and brought back to life.

Bringing the Interurban back to life would be no easy task, but I do believe it would be worth it. Multiple routes could be suggested such as running along its former R.O.W. which is currently occupied by an overhead power transmission line easement. Because the I-45 Gulf Freeway occupies the former R.O.W. once it nears downtown, the new interur-ban could start/finish its route at Hobby Airport where a light rail line such as the one I suggested on day 60 could connect riders to the rest of METRO’s transit system. Once back in service, the trolly in Galveston could transport tourists around in Galveston once they arrive.

An Interurban line would provide a cheap getaway for Houstonians on a budget, that have no car, or just don’t want to worry about parking in Galveston. The Interurban could serve more than just tourists wanting to get away, during the week the interurban could also stop at communities in between to act as a commuter rail line, this could also help construct and fund the rail line in phases.

87Houston-Galveston Interurban

96 09.21.13

Houston has thousands of signalized intersections that allow for the steady flow of traffic throughout it’s street net-work. More often than not these street lights are thought of as only serving automobiles. The fact is that they serve all forms of transportation including pedestrians (crosswalk timers) and bicyclists (who use the very same roads and lights). At specific signalized intersections where there is a major thoroughfare and a well traveled cross street, there are sensors that vehicles can trigger on the cross street that allow them to get a green light. The problem with these sensors is that most of them are designed for vehicles and not bicycles. With some useful knowledge all bicyclists, and even motorcyclists, could know how to better operate these sensored intersections.

For my 88th solution I propose a way to make it easier for bicyclists to trigger these inductive-loop traffic sensors that has already been implemented in cities such as Portland, OR. By simply providing assistive markings on the pavement where bicyclists should line up their bicycle tires to trigger the sensors bicyclists could safely make it through intersec-tions on a green light rather than running through a red light.

Traffic Light Sensor Assistive Markings88

9709.22.13

One aspect that just about every single yard in Houston (and Texas) has in common is a 6’ tall privacy fence along the property boundary separating it from adjacent properties. Most places in the midwest someone may come off as a grumpy neighbor if they have a 6’ tall privacy fence surrounding their entire property, I’m not exactly sure why this norm exists here. On day 89 I propose that Houstonians embrace the possibility of minimizing the physical barriers, i.e. 6’ tall privacy fences that exist between them in their neighbors.

Whether it be a 4’ tall fence, a mesh fence, a slatted fence with every other board removed, or even no fence at all, I believe it could greatly increase positive interactions between us and our neighbors. Benefits that can come from shar-ing yards and having no fences include:

•  more yard space for both households•  space that is large enough for sports or parties•  a shared garden•  better views•  shortcuts for kids•  easy access to shared tools, furniture, and other resources•  and an overall feeling of a more spacious backyard

Besides these benefits there are some unspoken things that occur back and forth between neighbors who have no

89Minimized Property Barriers

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89

fences in between them. For instance, one neighbor will mow 5 feet into the next door property one week and the next week the other neighbor will do the same. There is this sense of shared space that exists between the properties that anyone can use. Minimal physical barriers between properties also allows for an extra pair of eyes on children to make sure they are safe. I believe we have enough privacy in our homes, making our yards more inclusive rather than exclusive can make for a great neighborhood.

Minimized Property Barriers (con’t.)

9909.23.13

Getting fit doesn’t always have to cost money. For my 90th idea I would like to embrace this mindset through the implementation of a city-wide workout circuit. Whether it be running a specified loop around their neighborhood, doing pull-ups at the playground, or running up and down the stairs of the city hall annex, I believe that Houstonians can turn their city into their very own fitness center.

In this city wide fitness center, each neighborhood could serve as it’s own station or circuit. Each neighborhood would have its own jogging loop and then beyond that it would have workout areas that utilize its existing physical assets. Thoughtfully designed wayfinding and instructional signs would need to be implemented so that citizens would know how to best utilize their neighborhood’s circuit. Jogging routes could be designated with spray chalk so that they can wash away and new routes can be planned each month to change the scenery. To promote such a program the city could encourage users trying out the circuits of different neighborhoods to complete the grand city-wide circuit.

City Workout Circuit 90

100 09.24.13

On day 91 for my first of 10 ways that Houstonians can help make Houston more livable and sustainable I challenge citizens to always keep in mind the question, what would make “this” better? “This” can be a number of things such as a bus stop, tourism, crosswalk, etc. “This” doesn’t always have to be something physical, it can also be a concept or a way of doing things. Usually first hand experience (hint to future post) will allow someone to really understand how something is currently functioning and how it could function better. Asking yourself “what would make this better?” assumes that whatever “this” is can be improved upon. Some things need a lot of improvement, while others need that one extra thing that will bring it to the next level.

Something that starts to happen after you are always in the “what could make this better?” mindset is that you start to notice different things that you never noticed before. You start to notice how some things work, or if you don’t, you try to figure out why it works so that you can try to find a way to improve it. Challenging the way things exist rather than just assuming things are the way they are is another thing that happens after you adapt this way of thinking. One thing to keep in mind is bigger and more complex is not always better. Sometimes making big things smaller and complex things more simple can be the best thing ever.

What Would Make this Better?91

101

92

09.25.13

As I preluded to in my last post, it is difficult to know how to make things better and to get ideas for new things if you don’t have first hand experience with the matter. For example, in order to make a more walkable city you should probably walk around a little bit in the subject area to know exactly what and what doesn’t needs fixing. Same goes for biking and just about everything else. You need to be doing and studying the things you want to improve before you can actually improve them. There were a number of ideas that I had and ones that I got from others that, while they might have been great ideas, I didn’t know enough and have enough first hand experience to make them concrete.

First hand experience has huge implications in my profession, as is the same for others. Despite these huge implica-tions some planners believe they can still create pedestrian circulation plans and bicycle networks without actually having walked and biked anywhere in years or their whole life. The same goes for others who make grand plans and ideas without first studying and experiencing the area they are making these plans and ideas for. This is why I snapped the majority of the pictures in Houston on my 100 ways blog, so I would actually force myself to go out into the city and explore its opportunities for change. Experience is why diversity is such a great value to have. Those who don’t un-derstand diversity may look at it as a quota for a company or organization, but those who actually understand it know that with diversity comes different experiences. What one person has experienced in their life may be totally different than someone who is more diverse than them. By diversity I don’t just mean race and ethnicity, I also am talking about socioeconomic status, weight, national/international status, disability status, etc. Can you imagine how wonderfully walkable and accessible a city would be if everyone who planned it was in a wheelchair?

First Hand Experience

102 09.26.13

While reading through my 100 ways blog you may have noticed that some of the ideas I have put forth already exist in some form or another somewhere else. Not every idea needs to be revolutionary and ground breaking. Sometimes ideas can gain their inspiration from somewhere else that has already implemented them. Many of the opportunities and problems that exist in Houston are the same opportunities and problems that exist in many other cities around the world. Studying and learning from a precedent allows you to understand how that idea has been developed and implemented. Most importantly it allows you to analyze its successes, failures, and ways to improve upon the idea.

One of the easiest ways to learn of new ideas for Houston is to visit other cities who are doing things right. If you want to make a more bikeable Houston some of the best places to visit would be Amsterdam, Copenhagen, or Portland, OR. The least you can do is to do a little online researching about what these cities and their citizens are currently doing to promote these ideas. Federal funding for projects in the United States not only helps cities make innovative ideas a reality, it can also allow these cities to become models for other cities to follow.

The next time you are on a work trip or a family vacation to some other city stop for a second and think to yourself “what are they doing right here and how can this be implemented in Houston?”.

Learn from Precedents93

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94Thinking differently can mean a number of things. One way to think differently is to simply change your frame of reference. I am an urban planner by training so many of the ideas that I have are related to urban planning. The prob-lem with that is I can only think of so many different ideas thinking like an urban planner. When I start looking at how to improve the city coming from the viewpoint of a teacher, doctor, interior designer, etc. it gives me a whole new vantage point. The reason why democracy is so valued is because there is no way that city staff, public officials, and the like can really think of every possible idea, we need everyday people from different areas of training to give their expertise and opinions.

Another way to think differently is to think outside the box. It sounds cliche but it really makes the world of difference. There are an unlimited number of ways to think outside the box but one way I think outside the box includes pulling inspiration from things that may seem unrelated to making a city better. For example my inspiration on day 11 for smart parks came from walking through a Nordstrom. I saw a kiosk where customers could check prices and order things online. I decided to take a picture of it and figure out how I could integrate it into a park. My thinking behind it was retail stores are all about the customer and making their experience as convenient and friendly as possibly, why can’t our parks be like that?

In order to think differently one thing you have to do is not fear judgement from others. This can be hard for those who want to fit in. Over the years, especially recently, I have really tried to put fear aside and say what I believe is right and the truth. I thank my belief in God through Jesus for my ability to see fear of judgement as something that only exists from having an approval idol. If you truly want to help others and improve the city of Houston fear will have to be put aside.

Think Differently

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One thing to always remember is that ideas and projects do not exist in their own bubble. This is especially true for ideas about how to make Houston better. Whether or not intentional, small and big ideas alike have the potential to affect whole communities. The same holds true the other way around, whole communities will affect ideas either positively or negatively.

Knowing this, it is crucial to understand the context in which ideas are proposed. Before actually implementing an idea you need to first understand the greater overall problem or opportunity and evaluate the risks associated with fully implementing an idea. Large scale urban infill is a great example of an opportunity in which context needs to be carefully considered. These infill projects have huge potential to bring new life into adjacent neighborhoods if done correctly. If projects are looked at only from an internal, inside the project boundaries, standpoint they become an island of investment that eventually dies because of unsustained support from the outside community.

Considering Context95

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All too often our built environment is designed not with people in mind, but rather the automobile. This makes for streets that are uninviting and not easily crossable, buildings with ridiculous setbacks so that people can see available parking in front, and blockfaces that get longer and longer as you depart the inner loop making active forms of trans-portation very inconvenient. I believe ideas that will make Houston a better place are those that truly focus on people. Focusing our ideas on Houstonians will produce an environment where we feel like we belong.

When asking yourself does this fit me, street lights wouldn’t only be focused on lighting the street for cars, they would also provide adequate lighting on sidewalks for people. Asking this question would also create a street network that allows citizens to take multiple routes to their destination rather than being tunneled into one super highway network.

Humans have created life-sized cities for thousands of years. Only recently has the focus shifted away from people and towards automobiles. The fact is not everybody does, or is able to, own an automobile. Why should we be designing cities with the assumption that we do? When we make decisions with the question “does this fit me?” in mind we can give everybody the legitimate choice of how they would like to travel and dedicate more space to people.

96Does this Fit Me?

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Whether it be pictures, video, infographics, etc., in order for any idea to take ground and be realized you need to be able to allow others to visualize your idea. My 100 days blog would have a lot less followers and most likely be a little confusing if I hadn’t developed pictures to go along with my ideas. Many people have troubles visualizing anything without some sort of visual while others, like me, need some kind of visual to get their attention. Though, pictures alone sometimes are not enough to allow others to truly visualize your concept. Good writing and speaking are just as valuable to allow others to visualize your idea.

Something unexpected that happened during the 100 days was that sometimes while creating the pictures to go along with my ideas I was able to think about the idea a little bit more and transform it into something even better because I was able to visualize it myself through the picture I was creating.

When others are able to vibrantly visualize your idea you know that its not just a good idea, its a great idea.

Allow Others to Visualize Your Idea97

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Because Houston is so large and diverse there are hundreds of nonprofits located throughout the city. Although there may be some similar ones, most of these nonprofits have a different vision and a way that they go about achieving this vision. Though, just because there are hundreds of nonprofits in Houston doesn’t mean that you need to volunteer at each and every one. One of the best ways to make a difference in Houston is to be really involved with one, maybe two nonprofits. Ideally you want to use your achieved skills and expertise to really transform a nonprofit and in turn transform Houston.

Those who have worked construction or had hands on work their whole life would be great volunteers for nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity. Those who are in accounting or administrative positions make great board members, secretaries, and treasurers for just about any nonprofit. Those that work in professions that shape the built environ-ment would do well partnering with local nonprofits such as BetterHouston. The list goes on and on. The point is that we are all good at doing something, why not take those skills and apply them towards something bigger than yourself.

If you have searched forever for a nonprofit that fits your skills and still haven’t found one you have a couple different choices. First, you can try one out that you find interesting and learn new skills. Or, you can start your own nonprofit! One thing to remember is you shouldn’t view other nonprofits as competitors, but rather potential partners working towards a common vision of making Houston better.

98Skills Based Volunteering

108 10.02.13

One of the best ways to think of ideas to improve Houston is to make a commitment and hold yourself accountable. That doesn’t mean that everybody needs to think of 100 ways for 100 days straight, only someone crazy would do that. What it does mean is that if you really want to develop ideas to improve Houston you should set some parameters, timelines, and goals so that there is some structure and accountability to your thinking.

The best way to hold yourself accountable is to tell the world (or some friends) what it is that you want to do. Doing this makes it harder to stop in the middle of something because you know that you aren’t the only person that will notice. Not only does telling others hold yourself accountable it also makes it so that more people than just yourself know about the ideas you will put forth.

The commitment you make needs to be a challenge but at the same time it needs to be one that is possible to achieve. If I had said that I was going to propose an idea once every month or whenever I felt like it, it would have been hard for people to follow. Not only that, if I wanted to post an idea whenever I felt like it I would probably be making excuse after excuse for not coming up with an idea and the ideas I would have proposed probably wouldn’t have been that creative. Making a commitment allowed me to not only notice things that obviously needed fixing, it also allowed me to see opportunities where something could be made better even if it wasn’t apparent.

Make a Commitment, Hold Yourself Accountable99

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For those who may have stumbled across my blog over the past 100 days their first thought may be “wow this guy hates Houston so much that he can think of 100 ways that it should be changed”. This statement couldn’t be more false and in fact is quite the opposite. I have come up with 100 ideas of how to make Houston better because I love this city and even more, the people who live in it. I especially love the people who love other people and love some-thing greater than themselves. My love for Houston has caused me to excitedly hope for the sustainable growth of its neighborhoods and people.

Despite its addiction to auto-oriented development I see so much opportunity in Houston and I believe that this city can finally focus on its people. It won’t come without its challenges though. I believe one of the biggest challenges facing Houston is actually one that most people see as its strength. Houston is growing, fast. So fast that it is hard to keep up. Many developers would rather build easy, fast, cheap, single use suburban developments where safety exists only because it has been bought. Many people are getting tired of this lifestyle and are seeing the benefits of living next to basically everything they could ever want. The good thing is that the city of Houston has plenty of places for them to live.

Living right next to one another with minimal barriers requires that you develop a love for one another. I’m not say-ing that everyone needs to love one another like they love their spouse or their family, but I am saying that we can’t be afraid of someone just because they look different than you or come from a different culture. Developing a greater love for one another and for Houston will truly enable us all to imagine a better city where everyone has the right to hope for success without the expense of others.

100Love

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3.http://library.municode.com/HTML/10123/level4/COOR_CH26PA_ARTVIIIOREPALO_DIV2REPASPBISP.html#TOPTITLEhttp://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/53320

5.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_A._Lynch

6.http://services.publicworks.houstontx.gov/safe-sidewalk-application.htm

9.http://candychang.com/

14.http://library.municode.com/HTML/10123/level5/COOR_CH42SUDEPL_ARTIIIPLST_DIV2STSHDR_SDAST.html#COOR_CH42SUDEPL_ARTIIIPLST_DIV2STSHDR_SDAST_S42-127INMATHhttp://www.usgbc.org/neighborhoods

23.http://www.columbus.in.gov/planning/infill/

27.http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/AMALL:@field(DOCID+@lit(2007630436))http://www.h-gac.com/community/livablecenters/planningstudies/current/washington-avenue.aspx

32.http://www.theatlanticcities.com/design/2013/07/real-genius-bloombergs-plan-convince-you-take-stairs/6294/

38.http://pedestrianpete.com/

39.http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/08/hidden-epidemic-storefront-crashes/6384/

41.http://library.municode.com/HTML/10123/level4/COOR_CH26PA_ARTVIIIOREPALO_DIV2REPASPBISP.html#COOR_CH26PA_ARTVIIIOREPALO_DIV2REPASPBISP_S26-492PASPCETYUSCL

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42.http://www.cyclecopenhagen.dk/cc/master.php

48.https://www.coursera.org/

49.http://streetmix.net/

52.http://www.cityofboston.gov/cityhalltogo/default.asp

56.http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Montgomery-County-growth-pushes-30-percent-more-4692394.php

66.http://offcite.org/2013/05/23/thick-infrastructure-reconnecting-by-way-of-what-divides-us

69.http://offcite.org/2013/04/29/lobby-urbanism-byrony-roberts-re-imagines-houston-downtown

72.http://candychang.com/street-vendor-guide/

73.http://www.wattstowater.com/index.php

75.http://raygunsite.com/collections/guys/t-shirts?page=1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82l257T2ok0http://orangeshow.org/beer-can-house/

77.http://issuu.com/streetplanscollaborative/docs/tactical_urbanism_vol_2_final?e=4528751/2585800https://www.facebook.com/betterblockhoustonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_gardeninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parklet

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http://www.good.is/posts/bench-bombing-one-simple-way-to-transform-public-space

78.http://www.lavamae.org/#!lavamae-home/mainPage

80.http://stackd.biz/

82.http://houston.bcycle.com/

83.http://urbanharvest.org/home

85.

http://www.pps.org/blog/how-to-be-a-citizen-placemaker-think-lighter-quicker-cheaper/

87.http://blog.galveston.com/isle-living/rosenberg-librarys-december-treasure-of-the-month/

88.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_loop#Vehicle_detectionhttp://bikeportland.org/2010/09/27/bike-science-making-sense-out-of-signal-sensors-39517

98.http://www.houstonhabitat.org/http://www.betterhouston.org/home.html

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Thank you for taking the time to read some of the ideas that I have put forth to make Houston a better place for everyone. I also want to thank everyone for the support I had throughout the time I wrote the blog. It was everybody’s support that en-abled me to stay motivated and keep thinking and writing. I want to specially thank Dug Begley at the Houston Chronicle for writing about my blog and BetterHouston for promoting my blog from early on. Lastly, I want to thank my wife Corissa for her support throughout my blog. She graciously took on extra duties around the house while I got home from work and wrote my blog each and every day. Most of all though I would like to thank God for enabling me to take on such a task and giving me the inspiration and diligence to complete my 100 day blog. It is through Him that all things are possible.

Thank You