Livable Centers create a unique, identifiable destination, bolstering civic pride and acting as a catalyst for investment and development in an area. Livable Centers are wonderful places for people to interact, to live, and to work. The East End District has received several grant awards that have helped improve the pedestrian and cycling environment in Houston’s East End. Additional amenities for walkers and transit users include lighting, benches, bike racks, bus shelters, and ramps, all of which improve access to transit in the East End. East End Livable Centers Improvements Map
The District spent $2.25 million of its capital reserves to make improvements for walkers and transit riders on Harrisburg Boulevard, including shade trees along the new East End light rail corridor, and this work generated match dollars for additional grant funding. These improvement projects were implemented following extensive community engagement in the form of meetings, workshops, and stakeholder sessions to determine the most desirable improvements in the Second Ward and other near-town neighborhoods, benefiting both commercial property owners and residents alike.
To date, nearly 30 miles of sidewalks have been built in the Livable Centers project area in the historic Second Ward neighborhood. All of these improvements are based on extensive community input and have been made between the existing curb and the property lines within the public right of way.
METRO’s transit network provides a critical link to pedestrian and bicycle enhancements in neighborhoods throughout Houston. New light rail lines, including the East End Green Line, improve access and connect people to jobs, schools, and recreation. Metro has released its Transit Oriented Development Study that provides data for all four light rail corridors.
More on Livable Centers:
Eastwood Livable Centers Study
Livable Centers 2: The Houston-Galveston Area Council, in partnership with the Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation, Buffalo Bayou Partnership and the East End District, conducted a Livable Centers study of Houston’s historic Fifth Ward and Second Ward in 2014 and 2015. The purpose was to identify walkable, mixed-use places that provide multi-modal transportation, improve environmental quality and promote economic development in ways that will connect these two important neighborhoods. The study area, which is roughly bounded by Lockwood in the East, Lyons in the North, Waco/Hirsch/York in the West and Center St in the south, contains much of the eastern portions of the Fifth and Second Wards. The study engaged area residents and workers, government agencies, businesses and institutions to develop recommendations for improvements to the area, including transportation, economic development, housing choices and affordability, sustainability, open space and place-making recommendations.
Livable Centers 2 Final Report
Livable Centers 1-Phases 1 & 2:
Following are documents, study presentations, and maps that track the progress of the Livable Centers initiative since 2007. The original Livable Centers Phase 1 Plan and the East End Corridor Vision are the basis for all of the current work and future plans. As community support grew and important partnerships were developed, a Development Potential report was created, followed by a Master Plan.
Livable Centers Phase 2 Executive Summary
Livable Centers Phase 2 Environmental
More On Mobility:
A Mobility Study showing improvement opportunities was completed and presented to stakeholders in March, 2012. The Houston-Galveston Area Council presents “Mobility Now” a community television show about the many ways we move around in the Houston-Galveston region, hosted by H-GAC’s Director of Transportation, Alan Clark.