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In Memorial: Will Schoggins
The Planning & Development Department mourns the unexpected passing of Will Schoggins - beloved colleague; talented webmaster, artist, and photographer; loving husband, father, and grandfather. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Lori and family during this difficult time. Will was also an avid bike rider and bike advocate, he routinely volunteered and shared his talents for Bike To Work Day events by creating marketing materials or participating as a bike wrangler. He was passionate about improving Houston and serving his community, and that spirit showed through his city work and as a resident. He will be missed by his P&D family but not forgotten.
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Small Scale Development Workshop
We are pleased to announce that the City of Houston's Planning and Development Department was selected to sponsor an innovative program on small scale development, as a tool towards creating Complete Communities.
Incremental Development Alliance is a national non-profit that works to build local wealth in neighborhoods through ground-up real estate development. Incremental Development Alliance Workshops are all about relatively small but vitally valuable project formation in the community.
A lecture in early May had a healthy turnout, and was followed by a networking social event later that evening. These events set the stage for integrating the concepts of the program in Houston. Now, you are invited to register to attend the July 13 workshop. It offers a big picture view of neighborhood-based development to help attendees analyze what makes a good project, how a building makes money, and how small developers interact with the broader ecosystem of professionals in the built environment.
The day-long session will also introduce principles and implementation mechanisms behind neighborhood based real estate development projects and provide specialized training on how to create small projects to help achieve physical change in a community's built environment. Through presentations on finance, design and site selection, a hands-on practice exercise, and networking with local like-minded people, this workshop can be an initial step to becoming a small developer.
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UrbanPlan Workshop Models Developer Considerations
How are developer decisions made? P&D Planner Leader Misty Staunton facilitated an event hosted by UrbanPlan, which illustrated concepts applicable to this decision-making process. Using a prototypical site plan and building blocks to represent massing and scale, planners and other industry professionals looked at urban redevelopment scenarios from a different vantage point. Balancing community concerns, meeting stated program objectives, and weighing financial considerations were modeled with unique and creative solutions at this event. The exercise gave participants a fresh perspective on regulatory requirements and market forces.
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| Planner Leader Muxian Fang leads an exercise at the UrbanPlan workshop |
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Program Updates
Walkable Places: The work of the Planning Commission committee on fostering and creating a more vibrant, walkable city continues on an extended basis. Pilot programs have been announced in Midtown, Near Northside, and Third Ward, and meetings will be held on June 9, 11, and 14. Visit the P&D Facebook events page for meeting information for all three neighborhoods. The next Walkable Places Committee meeting is scheduled June 13 from 4-6 pm at 900 Bagby, City Hall Annex. Visit the Walkable Places committee page for updates.
 Complete Communities: Just over one year ago, Mayor Sylvestor Turner announced the launch of a new initiative - Complete Communities. Within this year, the City has held over 200 community meetings, met with over 1,400 citizens, including organizational and governmental representatives, and produced five Complete Communities Action Plans. Fundraising and implementation have already begun to support the community supported projects and programs. The Economic Development Committee of City Council heard the action plans on May 10, and public comments were accepted through May 23. For updates and other relevant information, please visit the program page and also consider enrolling for the Complete Communities publications.
Bike to Work Day: The Planning & Development
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Bike to Work Day 2018 |
Department sponsored the May 18 Bike to Work Day, at which Mayor Sylvester Turner announced important initiatives to address cyclist safety. Hundreds participated in what has become an annual tradition. Kudos to the Transportation Planning team for spearheading the effort.
Follow the Houston Bike Plan's Bicycle Advisory Committee webpage for more information on biking-related issues and announcements.
GIS and Census:
The Planning and Development Department, along with the U.S. Census Bureau, recently hosted a "Complete Count Committee" training/workshop for City Staff. This event was to create an awareness about the upcoming Census 2020, and about formation of Complete Count Committees in Houston, which is vital for federal funding to the area. Stay tuned for more information as Census plans progress.
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