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Houston, Let's Talk About Transportation Innovation

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

6:00 pm

United Way of Greater Houston

50 Waugh Drive

Advanced registration for this event is closed. Walk-ups are welcome and will be accommodated if space permits.

Rapid change on our streets is occurring in cities across the country, and the people leading the change may not be who you expected.

TransitCenter recently published a new report, “A People’s History of Recent Urban Transportation Innovation”, which explores the essential roles that civic advocates, city leaders, and agency champions play in creating innovative public transportation infrastructure and policies. Houston, long a poster child for sprawl, is no exception. From the bus network redesign to its light rail expansions, the mayor’s call for fewer highways to the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Houston is proving that positive change to urban transportation can be accomplished deep in the heart of Texas.

Join us on Wednesday, March 23 from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM to learn about “A People’s History,” and how Houston can embrace–and is already embracing–the coalition of a vibrant civic vanguard and visionary political leadership that is bringing street transformations to so many American cities.

After TransitCenter’s David Bragdon and Shin-pei Tsay introduce the report and its key findings, you will hear from a variety of change agents and organizations who are all playing different roles as they share their personal experiences in the struggle to reform Houston’s streets. Speakers include:

  • Kyle Shelton, Kinder Institute for Urban Research
  • Patrick Walsh, City of Houston Planning and Development
  • Christof Spieler, METRO Houston Board, Transportation Advocate
  • Carol Lewis, Texas Southern University, Center for Transportation Training and Research
  • Mary Blitzer, Bike Houston

Join us from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM, Wednesday, March 23 at the United Way of Houston Community Resource Center, 50 Waugh Drive. Refreshments will be provided.

This event is free and open to the public, but please register here.

→ Consider taking transit! The United Way is convenient to the #40 bus at Heights/Feagan and the #85 bus at Washington/Heights.

This event is sponsored by Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research in partnership with TransitCenter.

 

TransitCenter is an independent, civic philanthropy that sparks innovations and supports policies to improve public transportation. We believe that fresh thinking can change the transportation landscape and improve the overall livability of our cities. We commission and conduct research, convene events, and produce publications that inform and improve the practice of planning, financing, and oper- ating transit. For more information, please visit www.transitcenter.org.

A People's History of Recent Urban Transportation Innovation

What started as a straightforward and curious question – what were the human factors behind recent urban transportation innovations in the United States – turned into a wide exploration of civic action, governance, and the very meaning of innovation for transportation at this moment.

Registration for the event has closed. Walk-ups are welcome and will be accommodated if space permits.

Do you want to support the Kinder Institute?

Supporters of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research are part of an important network dedicated to improving the city of Houston and beyond. Individuals, corporations, foundations, and organizations provide critical financial resources to back the Institute’s expert researchers, unique programs, and successful studies. Their support has been crucial to creating positive, long-lasting results in Houston and broadening understanding of issues facing urban centers.

Our Corporate Council and Friends of the Kinder Institute attend events and engage with civic and political leaders on promising solutions to some of the most pressing urban issues. They also receive exclusive news, updates, and publications relevant to the Kinder Institute, the city of Houston, and other national urban discussions.