Buffalo Bayou Master Plan

[Texasota]

"environment trumps everything."

 

... I think you live in a different country than I do.

[DNAguy]

Yes, Houston lacks the beauty of say Denver or San Diego. However, that shouldn't stop us from making the best of what we've got. That's like saying bc I don't look like Brad Pitt, I shouldn't buy nice clothes or take bathes.

What I like about this project is that its functional, a public/private partnership, and I think its beautiful. Its a true amenity.

Houston can be on the forefront of leveraging the large corporate presence with beautifying the city. Discovery Green and Buffalo Bayou are first.

[BigFootsSocks]

Yes, Houston lacks the beauty of say Denver or San Diego. However, that shouldn't stop us from making the best of what we've got. That's like saying bc I don't look like Brad Pitt, I shouldn't buy nice clothes or take bathes.

What I like about this project is that its functional, a public/private partnership, and I think its beautiful. Its a true amenity.

Houston can be on the forefront of leveraging the large corporate presence with beautifying the city. Discovery Green and Buffalo Bayou are first.

Exactly, that's what I'm saying. We don't have natural beauty on the scale of some cities so we need to do what we can to create our own. This project is a perfect example of that, my only issue is that it doesn't seem like enough. Obviously money is a huge issue but Houston is so hell bent on expanding outward that the inner cores are neglected. 

[arche_757]

"environment trumps everything."

 

... I think you live in a different country than I do.

 

If you claim "Texas as a country" then no.

 

My point was that today we are much, much more environmentally conscious than ever before.

[Texasota]

Eh, as my name suggests I have lived in other parts of the country. We're certainly more environmentally conscious as a country than we were in the nineteenth century, but I don't think much progress has been made since the 70s. 

 

Maybe more to the point, this project is in Texas, the ship channel is in Texas, so Texas culture seems most relevant anyway.

[arche_757]

Other places (aside from much of the Sunbelt) most of the coastal states in the US have higher environmental standards than we do.  That's what I meant when I said nationally speaking.  Still, the very idea that we should work to protect wetlands even in this region is big when you think of pro-evironment vs pro-industry.

[bachanon]

off topic comments are going bye bye.  please keep it on topic.

[DNAguy]

@BigFoot

I hear you. The catering (straight up prostitution) to developers here in the Houston area is pretty sickening. I understand that one (and only one of many) of the reasons we've had cheaper housing is the countinous amount of housing being built farther and farther out in the metro area. It's really only now with advent of more affulent eempty nest boomers, young professionals, and more importantly, voters moving inside the loop that we are starting to get amentites.

The greenery around Houston is pretty naturally extensive, though. When I met a Scotish couple in Ecuador who had flown through Houston (yes I know this sounds a little rediculous), they commented on just how 'green' Houston was when they saw it from the plane. This always stuck with me. I think we'd actually be better off preserving more open space, with the thoughts to eventually add some aamentities when the population warrants, than anything else. I mean, that's how we got Memorial Park. In addition, we should require any development to protect a percentage of the 'natural' element when creating a neighborhood. THis is already done in some of the bigger master planned communities, but needs to be required and somehow standardized. IMHO

[Timoric]

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Edited July 8, 2019 by Timoric

[H-Town Man]

DNAguy you hit the nail right on the head. Totally agree we definitely need more open space in the inner core. The Bayou, Discovery Green, and the EaDo Promenade are all great steps, but compared to the Houston metro, it's such a minuscule amount it's hardly noticeable. 

 

We must follow the drang nach osten and build parks along the eastern end of Buffalo Bayou, from downtown to the turning basin.

 

Eastward the course of empire takes its way.

[mkultra25]

We must follow the drang nach osten and build parks along the eastern end of Buffalo Bayou, from downtown to the turning basin.

 

Eastward the course of empire takes its way.

 

Well played. Henceforth I feel compelled to refer to the unholy alliance of developers and well-heeled hipsters marching inexorably into the East End under the banner of gentrification as "Operation Barbarossa". 

[H-Town Man]

Well played. Henceforth I feel compelled to refer to the unholy alliance of developers and well-heeled hipsters marching inexorably into the East End under the banner of gentrification as "Operation Barbarossa". 

 

Living space!

 

[BigFootsSocks]

We must follow the drang nach osten and build parks along the eastern end of Buffalo Bayou, from downtown to the turning basin.

 

Eastward the course of empire takes its way.

That wasn't my full post...but I agree, the East End could benefit immensely with a project on this scale.

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

y'all made me laugh today... Operation Barbarossa... lol

 

[DNAguy]

H-town, you are spot on.

When you look at the buffalo bayou master plan from some years (http://www.buffalobayou.org/masterplan.html), the east of downtown part is (IMHO) the crown jewel of the entire vision. The current remodel of the western section is the lowest hanging fruit and the best 'bang for the buck.' The downtown section is so utterly costly, I don't know if we have the $ to actually achieve it. That would, however be extremely transformative. If we can sustain the downtown development momentum for another generation, then we've got a fighting chance.

And while he western section takes an underutilized park and makes it great, the eastern section takes a polluted, non-used section of a crappy looking river/stream and makes it a reclaimed nature sanctuary in a city's inner core.

Who has that in the US? The only places in the world that I think they have inner city nature sanctuaries are Costa Rica and Panama. While this won't be rain forest or nearly as epic, it would put Houston on the map. It would highlight our Janus-like Houstonian nature -  a re-repurposing of the bayou and the utter oxymoronical nature of having a nature sanctuary right next to the industrialized ship channel.

Hell, its almost poetic.

[Naviguessor]

DNA. It's a great vision.

Have you seen the Bayou east of downtown to Lockwood? It's wild and beautiful. There are a couple industrial facilities along the north bank, and a few relics that tell it's history as a port. But otherwise, it gorgeous and feels completely different than DT or West. Yes, real potential. BBP has acquired some stretches of the waterfront, but the big difference is that it is almost entirely owned by private companies, who all have private visions and ideas. Fortunately, BBP has been working to get right of way access for trails from most...but a grand plan for public spaces and access is very difficult. And won't come cheap. Although, as the east end is developed, some very cool private/commercial concepts could take advantage of the beauty and environment.

[nativehoustonion]

http://365thingsinhouston.com and they have a picnic tomorrow at Buffalo Bayou where the police memorial is from 1100-2pm.  Looks fun and you can pack your own lunch.  Whole Foods truck will be there to serve meals and drinks.  

[Triton]

Turning into a real beauty.

 

Edited April 30, 2014 by Triton

[Naviguessor]

Truly. And, We ain't seen nothing yet.

[bachanon]

looking at this latest picture (thanks triton), i realize that, in all of my longing for the next discovery green, i've overlooked the impact the buffalo bayou project could have on development facing the bayou from shepherd to downtown and further east.  i mean, i've known all along that this was ongoing and have ventured out to see the progress........i haven't yet built expectation on the possible developments that will follow; buildings around buffalo bayou extending "downtown" along the winding linear park that is buffalo bayou (google earth time).

 

are there additional pedestrian bridges going in, between memorial & allen parkway? guess i should check the master plan.....

[bachanon]

after looking at buffalo bayou on google earth, on the north side headed east: the jails, clayton homes, are going to be difficult things to overcome.  at first glance, there appears to be little land for private development and what might be there will be near undesirable properties (on the north side going east specifically).  not feeling too positive about buffalo bayou past allen's landing......

[cloud713]

lol, we really will have our own little alcatraz once they build the north canal. too bad they cant convert the jail into potentially the worlds first jail high rise, and blend it into a mixed use development on/around the new island. the jail in its current state takes up so much room that there really wont be much desirable land on the island. we will never be able to properly develop the bayou/get river boats and stuff on the bayou to be an attraction in that area cruising around canals surrounding a massive jail complex island. if we can do something with the jail (hell, id be ok if they moved the jail to the post office site with all the HPD stuff, ending any possibility of a mixed use development on the post office site, if it meant being able to develop on prime land along the bayou), and something ever comes of the KBR site, i could see river boat cruises up and down the bayou from Hirsch on the east side of a waterfront developed mixed use KBR site, going west, well past downtown. if they could dig a canal through the peninsula on the KBR site or somewhere else off the bayou, through the site, it could make for even more interesting boat rides.

[arche_757]

Houston will have its own Rikers Island!  Which isn't a good thing

 

I've long thought that the Bayou will (as bachanon pointed out above) draw more and more development along its banks (so to speak) when the project to improve and add public features to it is finished.  Allen Parkway/Memorial will be a unique district in and of itself (it already is in a way).

 

I wonder - what are the chances the Clayton Homes eventually move and the land is sold because its simply too valuable to remain low income/federal subsidized housing?  Any legal/real estate types on here want to chime in?  I'm thinking - that land could become something

[Texasota]

That land already *is* something.

 

Also, it's bayou frontage is actually pretty minimal. There's an enormous amount of vacant land between 45 and Hirsch (even discounting KBR) available for development. Let's not jump immediately to kicking the icky poor people out.

[arche_757]

I never said anything about them being icky or kicking them out.  I said the land will be more valuable some day and moving the subsidized housing elsewhere may make sense.  If the government can sell that land and make twice what they have spent on that property over the years wouldn't that be a wise public decision?  Yes.  Absolutely!

 

I only said that Clayton Homes is probably a site better used for something else (particularly since the land is more valuable than what its being used for).  It needn't be bulldozed overnight, I'm saying years down the road.

[bobruss]

In another thread I suggested that perhaps the jails could be moved to another part of town.

They could still be in downtown so it would be convenient to the courts, and the attorneys and law firms would

still be close. Why not put them under ground. Build a large facility on the counties property but out of sight.

Then we wouldn't have the visible stigma of the jails and the buffalo bayou plan could be carried out and have much more

land on both sides of the bayou to work with.

Even if we could just get back the north side of the bayou that would be fine.

The south side has fully developed with the courts and penal buildings but there is still room on the north side if these facilities were relocated.

I understand why it was done there in the first place but it seems like there could be a way to make this property available for a much more rewarding use than housing criminals. We don't need a Rykers Island .

[Texasota]

I never said anything about them being icky or kicking them out.  I said the land will be more valuable some day and moving the subsidized housing elsewhere may make sense.  If the government can sell that land and make twice what they have spent on that property over the years wouldn't that be a wise public decision?  Yes.  Absolutely!

 

I only said that Clayton Homes is probably a site better used for something else (particularly since the land is more valuable than what its being used for).  It needn't be bulldozed overnight, I'm saying years down the road.

 

I have some issues with the design and density of Clayton Homes, but I strongly believe that keeping low-income/subsidized housing downtown is important to keeping it from becoming a rich folks-only playground.

 

At the moment the city is subsidizing rich people housing downtown, and I think that's absolutely necessary, but I don't want downtown to become a better laid out version of Uptown.

[Timoric]

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Edited July 8, 2019 by Timoric

[Texasota]

-ish.

 

Historically Allen's Landing was the furthest inland navigable point. Today it's the turning basin.

 

With that being said, smaller boats, kayaks, canoes, ferries etc could make it in to Shepherd or so.

[Timoric]

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Edited July 8, 2019 by Timoric