Greening Houston Bayou Greenways in Greater Houston Roksan Okan-Vick, FAIA Houston Parks Board 3-26-2015 Brays Bayou Greenway Courtesy: Houston Parks Board
Houston Parks Board Land Acquisition @ 13,600 acres CoolGreen Park 160 ac West 11 th Street Park 20 ac Robert C Stuart Park 28 ac Keith Wiess Park 500 ac Herman Brown Park 717 ac E.R. & Ann Taylor Park 25 ac
Houston Parks Board Capital Projects over $90 million Lee & Joe Jamail Skatepark Jaycee Park Houston Amateur Sports Park Hidalgo Water Playground Tanglewood Dog Park Bendwood Park Playground
Houston Parks Board Bayou Greenways Montgomery County Harris County Galveston County
Houston Parks Board Bayou Greenways Montgomery County Spring Harris County Cypress Greens White Oak Halls Hunting Buffalo Brays Sims Clear Galveston County
Bayou Greenways Scope of work: 1. 10 major bayou corridors in Harris County / greater Houston area 2. Completing continuous green ribbons, trails, and 3. Acquiring additional large greenspaces for future park /detention/ water quality development Brays Bayou Greenway Courtesy: Houston Parks Board
Bayou Greenways
Bayou Greenways
Bayou Greenways Transformative
Bayou Greenways 13 County Context PINEY WOODS BIG THICKET RIVERS & BAYOUS TRINITY BOTTOMLANDS POST OAK SAVANNAH MARSHES, BAYS & ESTUARIES PRAIRIES COLUMBIA BOTTOMLANDS Courtesy: Houston Wilderness
Bayou Greenways Cypress Creek Courtesy: Jim Robertson, Cypress Creek Greenway Project
Bayou Greenways Brays Bayou Greenway Courtesy: Houston Parks Board Brays Bayou Greenway Courtesy: Houston Parks Board
Bayou Greenways Brays Bayou Greenway Courtesy: K. Burke
Bayou Greenways Greens Bayou Greenway Courtesy: Greens Bayou Corridor Coalition
Bayou Greenways White Oak Bayou Greenway Courtesy: Houston Parks Board White Oak Bayou
Bayou Greenways Brays Bayou Greenway Courtesy: Houston Parks Board Courtesy: Kevin Shanley
Bayou Greenways White Oak Bayou Greenway Courtesy: Houston Parks Board Brays Bayou Courtesy: Houston Parks Board
Bayou Greenways Little Blue Heron Courtesy: Greg Lavaty Little Blue Heron Courtesy: Greg Lavaty Brays Greenway
Bayou Greenways Better distribution of greenspaces
Bayou Greenways Demographics MSA values $29,000 income/capita 59-17 - 37 % w/b/h (79.6) Diversity index San Jacinto $37,700 84-7 20 (52.2) White Oak $31,200 60-17 45 (80.1) Buffalo (East) $17,917 49-31 49 (83.3) Halls $11,500 33-43 53 (85.5) Greens (Lower) $15,300 48-23 64 (84.6) Hunting $12,900 39-37 58 (85.5) Brays $25,400 46-23 43 (85.9) Sims $14,700 33-41 52 (86.0) Clear $25,400 50-22 45 (84.6)
Bayou Greenways Impact 60% of population within 1.5 mile
Bayou Greenways Key to a Healthy Region by Dr. John Crompton Quantifiable benefits of greenways -- 1. Physical & mental health $ 50 million/year Recreational Use Value Health Care Cost Savings Urban Cohesion 2. Environmental health $ 10 million/year Air Quality & Enhanced Bicycle Use Flood/Runoff Reduction & Water Quality Ecosystem Services 3. Economic health $ 30 million/year Enhanced Property Tax Base Retiree Retention & Relocation Company & Talent Retention & Relocation City-wide annual benefits County-wide annual benefits $ 90 million/year $137 million/year
Montrose Heights Bayou Greenways Comey Plan -- 1912 Source: Arthur C. Comey, Houston, Tentative Plans for Its Development White Oak CBD Buffalo Rice Hermann Park Brays
Bayou Greenways Scope and Cost (2012) Harris County: Houston Bayou Greenways 2020: 4,000 new acres 1,500 new acres 150 new miles for 300 total 80 new miles for 150 total $ 490 million $ 220 million
Bayou Greenways Financing the greenways City of Houston $270 million Rest of Harris Co. $220 million Inside Houston
Bayou Greenways 2020 Financing Plan Fund distribution: Municipal Bond Funds 2012 bond referendum Privately Raised Funds (Private and Federal) $100 million $120 million $220 million Use of Funds: Municipal Bond Funds Privately Raised Funds (Private and Federal) Construction Land Acquisition & Design Brays Bayou Greenway Courtesy: Houston Parks Board
Bayou Greenways 2020 Scope: 1,500 new acres 80 new miles for a total of 150 miles Budget: Acquisition Design & Construction of trails and amenities Indirect project costs Bayou Greenways 2020 Total $ 65 million 150 million 5 million $ 220 million Schedule to complete project 6 years Conservation & Maintenance Funding Commitment: 80 years Funding: Bond Funds Privately raised commitments Additional Fundraising goal $ 100 million 80 million $ 40 million
Bayou Greenways 2020 Conservation & Maintenance Organic Debris (limbs, etc.) 29% Hazardous Material 0% Other 2% Plastic (bottles, bags, etc.) 30% Processed Wood 3% Cloth 3% Paper 18% Metal 5% Glass 8% Rubber 4% Halls Bayou Greenway
Bayou Greenways 2020 Conservation & Maintenance
Bayou Greenways 2020 Progress on the ground
Bayou Greenways 2020 Progress Greens Bayou acquisition & design White Oak Bayou acquisition, design & construction Halls Bayou acquisition & design Buffalo Bayou construction Travis to Main Brays Bayou acquisition, design & construction -- Ship channel to U of H Hunting Bayou acquisition & design Sims Bayou acquisition & design Milby to Post Oak
Bayou Greenways 2020 Halls Bayou Progress Courtesy: Houston Parks Board
Bayou Greenways 2020 Sims Bayou Greenway Progress Courtesy: CITE Magazine
Bayou Greenways 2020 Hunting Bayou Greenway Progress Courtesy: CITE Magazine Courtesy: Houston Parks Board
Bayou Greenways 2020 White Oak Bayou Greenway (Upper) Progress Courtesy: Houston Parks Board
Bayou Greenways 2020 White Oak Bayou Greenway (Middle) Progress Courtesy: Houston Parks Board
Bayou Greenways 2020 White Oak Bayou Greenway (Middle) Progress Courtesy: Houston Parks Board
Bayou Greenways 2020 White Oak Bayou Greenway (Middle) Progress Courtesy: Mary Alfieri
Bayou Greenways 2020 White Oak Bayou Greenway (Middle) Progress Courtesy: Michael Skelly Courtesy: Wes Sutherland Courtesy: Houston Parks Board
Bayou Greenways 2020 Brays Bayou Greenway Progress Courtesy: CITE Magazine Courtesy: Houston Parks Board
Bayou Greenways 2020 Brays Bayou Progress Courtesy: Mary Alfieri Courtesy: CITE Magazine Courtesy: Houston Parks Board
Bayou Greenways 2020 Google Trekker Courtesy: Houston Parks Board
Bayou Greenways 2020 The rest of the work West Fork Halls Bayou Buffalo Bayou Greens Bayou Brays Bayou Hunting Bayou Clear Creek Sims Bayou
Bayou Greenways 2020 Brays Bayou Courtesy: Houston Parks Board
Bayou Greenways 2020
As agreed by Steven Klineberg, there is unlikely to be any other investment in the greater Houston area that will impact quality of life, quality of space. One that will: 1. Transform an underutilized asset into one that re-defines Houston 2. Provide equitably distributed parks & recreation amenities, making the area #1 for off-street trails 3. Increase the health of our citizens, our environment, and our economy. Thank you!
Bayou Greenways
Green Grid
Green Grid
Green Grid