Houston skyline at night

‘Be Someone’ City Opportunity Urbanism Event and more

by Tory Gattis — Join us Wednesday evening June 16th: Building a 'Be Someone' City: Houston and the Rise of Opportunity Urbanism. We will discuss how to develop a market-centered, ‘people-oriented’ approach to urban policy, planning, and development.
Photo credit: Aerial vies of Irvine, Texas by La Citta Vitta, via Flickr

Texas and Houston Growth Secret, Texas Miracle is More than Oil

by Tory Gattis — Going beyond all the usual reasons given for Texas' high growth, here's the technical overlooked one that I think is a big key: Texas does not allow unincorporated counties to regulate land use (i.e. create zoning), which creates pretty much a totally free market in development just outside cities.
working remotely in a horse trailer, January 2021

The Future of Remote Work and What it Means for Houston

by Tory Gattis — What does the post-pandemic future of remote work mean for Houston? Is the city likely to benefit from remote work or not?
Housing elasticity and prices in 20 fast-growing U.S. metrosMarket Urbanism Report

Texas Startup Manifesto 2.0, Houston housing elasticity, remote work reshaping America, and more

by Tory Gattis — How does the Houston housing market achieve elasticity? Less regulation. The city famously lacks a zoning code, and many of its suburbs are also very pro-growth.
Charles Blain talks with Eric Barvin, founder of The Barvin Group, bout property ownership in Houston

Entrepreneurship and Opportunity with Eric Barvin

Charles Blain sits down with Eric Barvin to discuss entrepreneurship and opportunity in Texas. Eric identifies the affordability of housing as a key factor in the success of his investment in rental properties.
View of Downtown Houston, Texas

Techxodus, Houston’s Identity, Future of Offices and more

by Tory Gattis — What defines Houston? Affordable housing is one of the things that makes Houston attractive to tech employees looking to relocate, and reap the benefits of the Texas model for supplying a continuous flow of new, affordable housing.
Case for moving to Houston

Bloomberg’s Case for Moving to Houston, URI 2020 Year in Review Video, and More

by Tory Gattis — Bloomberg Businessweek's makes "The Case for Moving to Houston" in a story on high-tech workers leaving the big expensive coastal cities.
Houston Downtown

New Zealand Adopts Texas Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs)

by Tory Gattis — In 2018, New Zealand sent delegates to the USA to study urban development, with a focus on revenue bonds and municipal utility districts (MUDs) in Texas.
Suburbs with green spaceLa Citta Vita, used under CC 2.0 License

Post-Pandemic Housing Reality, Alt Cities to CA-NYC Housing Boom

by Tory Gattis — A post-pandemic housing boom is underway in alternative cities as residents flee high housing costs and low quality of life.
Ownership and Opportunity: New Report from Urban Reform Institute

Ownership and Opportunity: A New Report from Urban Reform Institute

Ownership and Opportunity, a new report from Urban Reform Institute, explores the connection between homeownership and opportunity for upward mobility.