Houston Strategies

HTX #1 for economic freedom and now an Alpha global city, Metro gets pragmatic, Houspitality food scene, and more

Before getting to this week's items, I have to mention a great new book just published by my good friend Anne. It frames a 16 question test for strong organizations that I think was at least partially shaped by the time she spent in Houston, and I do think it's something that's also a part of Houston's character and identity. How does your organization stack up on the test? Definitely worth checking out!

The Fabric of Character: A Wise Giver's Guide to Supporting Social and Moral Renewal

Hope you enjoyed the April Fools post earlier this week ;-D I got some pretty positive feedback on it. Moving on to this week's items:

• Reason ranks Houston #1 for Economic Freedom! (full report) This gives us a boost on per capita incomes, and I think it's pretty core to our identity, especially the lack of zoning. Hat tip to George.
• Kudos to Metro for heading in the right pragmatic direction to stretch limited transit dollars further: Metro scaling back future transit plans to one light rail line to Hobby airport.  In fact, they're also looking at the possibility of replacing Hobby rail altogether with faster, cheaper, safer express BRT running in the I45 express lanes similar to what Intercontinental is getting. Here's the lesson from Dallas on why airport rail doesn't work.
• And here's part of the reason it's good Houston is backing off from expensive, inflexible rail: Los Angeles Passed a Historic Transit Tax. Why Isn’t It Working? Hat tip to Jay. Excerpts:

"Between 1980 and 2016, L.A. passed three major transit sales tax measures and built 110 miles of rail. Yet ridership on L.A.’s transit system has been slipping for years, while the number of miles traveled in private cars is rising. Other American cities that have passed major transit measures are facing the same conundrum.
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Thus, few Angelenos viewed transit as an amenity that directly benefited them. People voted for Measure M as an expression of their political beliefs, and in support of a broader social good—someone else will use this public service and improve congestion, just not me."

• Houston moves up to "Alpha -" in the new Global City rankings.  We were Beta previously.  Our US peers are SF and DC, while we're behind NYC, LA, Chicago, and Miami. We're just ahead of Dallas, Boston, and Atlanta stuck in Beta +, while Austin is all the way down in Gamma.
• Houston #9 out of 160 cities in Schroder's Global Cities Index. Not bad! Hat tip to George.
• The NYTimes discovers Buc-ee's! 😅

"There’s an abundance of pride here in the state’s brief history as a nation, its superior way of life and, yes, its gas stations."

• McKinsey on Reimagining Mobility. Cool scrolling infographic instead of a normally written report.  They're predicting 80% of vehicle miles will be fully autonomous by 2030.
• Atlantic CityLab: Despite ‘Car-Free’ Hype, Millennials Drive a Lot. "Despite the buzz around ride-hailing and bike lanes, car ownership among younger Americans looks a lot like that of older Americans."
• Houston Chronicle: From Space City to Food City: In 2019, Houston’s brand is all about delicious diversity. Hear, hear! This reinforces why Houspitality should be Houston's identity and brand.  I also have a post from the earliest days of this blog outlining why Houston has such a great restaurant scene. Excerpts:

"Nearly three decades later, Houston is not just the hottest food city in Texas — it owns a growing brand as one of America’s great culinary capitals. The city’s nebulous image as a sprawling energy boomtown and space nexus has crystallized into something far more tangible and inviting.
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....chef David Chang, who has pronounced Houston “the most exciting food city in America.” 

Chang — the multiple Beard Award-winning founder of Momofuku restaurant group and host of Netflix’s “Ugly Delicous” — says he’s been high on the Houston food scene for about eight years now. The diversity, the culinary talent, even the city’s lack of zoning — all conspire to make a great food destination, he believes. 

“There’s great produce, the abundance of the Gulf of Mexico, a confluence of ethnic groups, and really lax governance,” he said. “You have Texas barbecue and Tex-Mex culture, you have Vietnamese and Indian. You have all that there and you have space — you have so much land.” 

“People say Austin is weird, but I think Houston is way weirder than Austin,” Chang said. “Nothing makes sense. And that’s amazing.”

Labels: autonomous vehicles, economic strategy, economy, identity, land-use regulation, Metro, mobility strategies, quality of place, rail, rankings, transit, world city

posted by Tory Gattis @ 6:30 PM