Urban Edge Podcast

First, sit in on a homebuyer workshop hosted by the Houston NAACP that aims to get 100 new black homeowners in the city by the end of the year, despite large homeownership gaps between white and black residents here and across the country. Then, talk with resiliency expert Harriet Tregoning about why transit, equity and smart growth are essential for resilient cities and life after her time at HUD.

First, tour one of the Houston neighborhoods in the path of the North Houston Highway Improvement Project and see how community groups are hoping to make it work for them. Then, listen in as Kyle Shelton discusses his new book on Houston's transportation history and politics. Note: Data about neighborhood rates of car access refer to households, not population. Find more at the Kinder Institute's Houston Community Data Connections: http://www.datahouston.org/gallery.html For more information about the North Houston Highway Improvement Project, visit: http://www.ih45northandmore.com For more information about the Greater Northside Management District, visit: http://www.greaternorthside.org/home.shtml

Houston has long been known as one of the country's sprawl capitals. But did you know some parts of the city have higher levels of density than Chicago? Kinder Institute researcher Kelsey Walker discusses those neighborhoods, and her new study, "Taking Stock: Housing Trends in the Houston Area."

Historically, Houston has been one of the country's most affordable large cities. But today, housing costs are soaring, leaving many residents in the lurch. The Kinder Institute's Ryan Holeywell, Leah Binkovitz and Kyle Shelton discuss the size of the area's affordable housing crunch and explain ways Houston and other cities can address the problem.

Just in time for Super Bowl LI, Houston finished the final portion of its light-rail build out. So what's the next big project for METRO Houston? The Kinder Institute's Ryan Holeywell and Kyle Shelton discuss the future of transit in the country's fourth largest city.

Indigent youth will often do whatever it takes to avoid a homeless shelter: They couch surf. They crash with relatives. They may trade sex for a bed. But that resilience poses unique challenges to the very programs designed to serve them. Kinder Institute staff writer Leah Binkovitz discusses her work on the new series, HousingOfHouston.com, with senior editor Ryan Holeywell.

What can cities learn from the suburbs? Plenty, argues Dr. Kyle Shelton of Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research. Shelton speaks with Ryan Holeywell about why it's important for planners and developers alike pay attention to the lessons suburban development can teach us, even if we're focused on cities.

It's an economic juggernaut that's critically important not just to Houston but to the entire state of Texas. Yet many people living in the Bayou City know little about the Port of Houston, even though it's in their backyard. Kinder Institute Staff Writer Leah Binkovitz visits the facility.

Former Baltimore Mayor and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley chatted with the Kinder Institute's Ryan Holeywell while he was in town meeting with the mayor of Houston and other local leaders. O'Malley discussed his new gig as chairman of the advisory board of the MetroLab Network, which works to promote data collaboration between cities and universities. Then he spoke about Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and his short-lived 2016 presidential campaign.

Kinder Institute Staff Writer Leah Binkovitz discusses the latest developments in the debate about the future of education funding in Texas. Then, Kinder Institute Research Analyst Kelsey Walker explains her research on construction and demolition trends in Houston.

Houston is becoming more Democratic, more tolerant, and more secular. The Kinder Institute's Leah Binkovitz speaks with Dr. Stephen Klineberg about the findings of the 2016 Kinder Houston Area Survey.

Outgoing Houston Mayor Annise Parker sat down with Urban Edge host Ryan Holeywell to discuss the city's pensions, the local economy, and her future aspirations.

Kinder Institute transportation expert Kyle Shelton explains the role that infrastructure plays in protests. Then, senior editor Ryan Holeywell interviews Canadian artist Steve McDonald about his new adult coloring book featuring architecture from around the world.

A special two-part episode highlights two recent Urban Edge articles. First, Andrew Keatts explores why the bicycling community often fails to pay attention to its most vulnerable members. Then, Ryan Holeywell discusses his recent trip inside Houston's Astrodome, which has sat vacant for 16 years.

Gabe Klein has an unusual resume: he is perhaps the only person to have served as the head of two big city transportation departments. Before his work heading the transportation agencies in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, he worked with start-ups like Zipcar and a food truck business. He discusses his new book "Start-Up City," which features advice on what government can learn from business.

The Kinder Institute's Kyle Shelton interviews James Longhurst, author of the new book "Bike Battles: A History of Sharing the American Road." Longhurst, a professor at University of Wisconsin -- La Crosse, explains how the history of bicycles (and the policy decisions surrounding them) will affect the future of roadway development.

In the first-ever Urban Edge podcast, Ryan Holeywell interviews Emily Ryder Perlmeter about "colonias," Texas communities that lack infrastructure like paved roads and running water. Perlmeter, a researcher at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, has spent the last few years researching these communities. The Urban Edge podcast is produced by Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research.