Three perfect days in HTX, growth forecasts, increasing our density, reducing homelessness, protesting property taxes, and more

Happy New Year/Decade everyone! Hope you enjoyed your holidays as much as I did (OC/LA w/ family). Lots of backlogged smaller items, but before we get to them, a short word about our sponsor: if one of your new year’s resolutions is to save big money on electricity this year, My Best Plan is incredible at absolutely optimizing the lowest-cost electricity plan for you. I’ve known David over there for years (fellow Rice MBA), and his optimization algorithm is the best, bar none. And completely unbiased too, which can’t be said for some of the other optimizers out there that have been uncovered as fronts for electricity marketing companies. Send him (or me) your latest electricity bill to get an estimate of your potential savings – it’s free, and you have nothing to lose while potentially saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars (as he’s saved me over the years).

On to this week’s items:

• The Greater Houston Partnership has released its 2020 Employment Forecast.  Only time will tell if their vision is 20/20… (sorry, couldn’t help myself! 😉
• Report: Houston Growth Expected to be Among Best in U.S. through ’23
• Texas recognized as second best state for business, while Houston expected to see key economic growth
• Forbes: Potential for United to grow its Houston hub to Latin America
• Excellent piece from Market Urbanist Scott Beyer: How Houston Is Becoming America’s Next Dense City – More Than “Just Sprawl,” Houston’s Lighter Land-Use Regulations Are Helping it Grow Up
• Speaking of density, the City is moving forward with plans to allow more density (reduced setbacks and parking) near transit, but Michael Skelly doesn’t think they’re going far enough. I think it’s a modest start that can be expanded incrementally to minimize opposition.
• Vox: Kansas City is making its bus system fare-free. Will other cities do the same?
• CityLab: A lot on Houston’s success with reducing homelessness in this piece.
• And another: Houston leads the nation in reducing homelessness. Hat tip to George.
• And one more: Texas Monthly: The Man Helping Solve Houston’s Homelessness Problem. Another hat tip to George.
• Understanding the Property Tax Protest Industry of Houston. Hat tip to Judah.
• Texas Monthly: The Evolution of the Energy Capital of the World. How Houston became the center of the Texas oil boom (and not Beaumont). ” ‘liberty is a right and not a privilege.’ No more Houstonian words were ever spoken.” Hat tip to George.

Finally, I’d like to end with this United’s Hemispheres magazine video on 3 perfect days Houston. Hat tip to George.

Tory Gattis is a Founding Senior Fellow with the Center for Opportunity Urbanism and co-authored the original study with noted urbanist Joel Kotkin and others, creating a city philosophy around upward social mobility for all citizens as an alternative to the popular smart growth, new urbanism, and creative class movements. He is also an editor of the Houston Strategies blog.