Houston City Council Members Discuss Economic Development, Resiliency

Published Feb 21, 2020 by Sophia Guevara

Providing a great quality of life and building a strong diverse economy was top of mind for four Houston City Council Members at the Greater Houston Partnership on Friday. They addressed a sold-out room at a Future of Texas event and included:

Here are highlights from the discussion:

Great Quality of Life: Building a more resilient Houston after Hurricane Harvey
Council Members discussed the city’s response to Hurricane Harvey and how to build a more resilient Houston.

Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin discussed the city’s work with state and federal partners to secure funding for Houston's flood resilience. He highlighted the Partnership’s Washington D.C. Fly-In next week as an opportunity to advance priorities in the region’s flood resilience with federal partners.

Council Member Abbie Kamin discussed the City’s new Resilient Houston strategic plan, which will institutionalize resiliency planning in city departments and serve as a blueprint for flood mitigation and overall resilience in the City of Houston over the next decade.

Strong, Diverse Economy: Economic Development in the City of Houston
City Council Members discussed their priorities for the energy transition and economic development in the City of Houston.

As Chair of City Council's Transportation, Technology and Infrastructure Committee, Council Member David Robinson talked about the importance of the development of the Ion as a center for innovation in Houston and transit-oriented economic development.

Council Member Abbie Kamin touched on energy transition. She highlighted the Partnership’s strategic focus, which Partnership 2020 Board Chair, Bobby Tudor, Chairman, Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co., announced at the Partnership’s Annual Meeting in January. His remarks are available here.

Council Member Kamin discussed the city’s renewable energy portfolio and her priorities for how the city can support the energy transition.

Homelessness in Houston
During Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s inaugural address earlier this year, he announced an initiative to continue addressing Houston’s homeless challenge. During the Future of Texas panel discussion, Houston City Council Members also discussed their priorities for housing and supporting Houston’s homeless. As the Chair of the City Council Quality of Life Committee, Council Member Robert Gallegos, discussed potential policies to address Houston’s homeless challenge.

Parks and Green Spaces
Council Member Gallegos highlighted key parks and green space expansions and improvements within the City of Houston that are underway or soon to be completed. He expressed his support of the 50/50 Parks Partners initiative to uplift 50 neighborhood parks within the City of Houston. He also described the importance of connecting transit with parks, focusing on his effort to connect downtown Houston with Memorial Park, which is in the midst of a $200 million Master Plan improvement.

Next Month: Future of Texas
On March 27, the Partnership will host its next Future of Texas panel focused on Higher Education and Workforce Development.

The Future of Texas series, which is a part of our Business Resource Group (BRG), features elected officials shaping our state's future, giving Partnership members the opportunity to engage with these leaders and hear their perspectives on our city and state's most pressing issues. Learn more here.