Houston, TX

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: Many residents of Houston's Gulfton neighborhood do not own cars, making walking, cycling and public transit use common in the area -- one of the most diverse in the city. But street infrastructure didn't exist to protect cyclists from street traffic. To demonstrate the value of streetscape improvements, the City set up a pop-up bike lane on Westward Street near a local elementary school. First, the City developed a pop-up toolkit, consisting of chalk, paint, stencils and traffic cones. They then used these to create bike lanes on both sides of the street, with plans to conduct more low-cost, temporary pop-ups in the future. During the Westward Street demonstration, the City conducted a survey of residents. Following the success of the temporary bike lanes, the City broke ground on a permanent street redesign project nearby. Planners expect permanent protected bike lanes to be installed along the stretch where the demonstration took place.

Houston, TX

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing

Description: The City of Houston allows construction of accessory dwelling units, which consist of a small housing unit built on the property of a preexisting single-family home. The Planning Department hoped to encourage more residents to build ADUs, so it launched an awareness campaign. To educate residents, the City hosted a series of virtual workshops on ADU construction. They also held a design competition, which gave the City content for a how-to design guide, a website and a set of plan documents for an ADU. The City published the plans online so residents can access them for free, allowing them to avoid an estimated 250 in permitting fees. The City is now exploring ways to support low- and moderate-income homeowners who are interested in constructing an ADU, allowing them to rent out the space for extra income.