Buffalo Bayou Master Plan

[mollusk]

Thanks for the photos.  It's a much different perspective than what one gets driving past.

[jt16]

This city is missing a monumental opportunity with the bayou downtown. The rebirth of the bayou west of downtown needs to continue into downtown.

[j_cuevas713]

This city is missing a monumental opportunity with the bayou downtown. The rebirth of the bayou west of downtown needs to continue into downtown.

I think economically it will happen on its own. We all know that everything revolves around the almighty dollar. Once the Sunset Coffee building is complete, you can expect smaller developments to follow suit.

 

I find it such an honor to know that our city has one of the top ten public green spaces in America. We are really growing in a smarter way and at a fast rate. This is my theory on the entire situation of what is "Houston." Houston has no zoning, yet the lack of zoning has almost been a plus in the development of some very unique neighborhoods. Sure its created some undesirable areas, but because the city filling in so nice with newer walk friendly developments, the old run down areas of the city are being transformed as well. Just driving down West Alabama and Kirby the other day I saw a small glimpse of where this city is headed. Houston is a very nice city.

Edited April 20, 2014 by j_cuevas713

[swtsig]

I was driving down memorial from downtown the other night and it just reaffirmed how transformative this project can be to this city. When completed this will be a true destination for residents and tourists alike. I also couldn't help but envision the south side of Allen parkway lined with high rises, overlooking this wonderfully redone park and feeling excited as to where this city is headed.

[Jax]

This is the way a bayou should be. The difference in this and most of the other bayous in town is like night and day.

[bobruss]

Hard work by Anne Olsen, her staff, and Guy Hagstette, for delivering one of the great civic projects  for Houston.

This has been in the works for a very long time and when completed will completely transform this area around Buffalo Bayou into one of the great Urban parks in the U.S.. 

[BigFootsSocks]

when completed will completely transform this area around Buffalo Bayou into one of the great Urban parks in the U.S.. 

Yeah I love Htown as much as anyone else here but let's not get delusional now. It's still a bayou...

[arche_757]

Yeah I love Htown as much as anyone else here but let's not get delusional now. It's still a bayou...

 

Maybe it won't be the greatest urban park in the world, but a vast improvement over what is existing.

 

It is a start.  Besides, after this one is finished why not move to reworking other bayous?  Perhaps some will always be channelized but why not try to move towards a more natural state?  Braes (with all its flood control improvements) would be a start.  All that would be needed is some sort of linear line connecting the two (thinking about the railroad tracks that bisect Memorial Park and form the western edge of Highland Village).  If some day those could be worked into a sort of park frontage (assuming eventually the trains will relocate - many years from now - or be submerged!)?  Wishful thinking I know.  Maybe an elevated park could be built to allow walkers/joggers/bikers ?

 

Would be neat.  Again, wishfull thinking though!

[bobruss]

 I understand that, but I have seen rivers in other cities that don't look nearly as impressive as Buffalo bayou as small as it is. Once downtown and its confluence with another (White oak) bayou, it actually is a fairly good size body of water.  This transformation would make 

a gully look inviting. There's already a lot of buzz and more curious visitors. No matter the size of the stream it will attract  attention both in visitors and national press. Its going to be a very attractive park.

[BigFootsSocks]

I mean yeah not saying it's pointless or doesn't look good, it definitely looks at least 1000x better than it used to, just saying that Houston will always be a swamp. We have no natural beauty so the only choice is to create our own.

[bobruss]

I think its mostly  prairie, forest,  and marsh. 

[Houston19514]

Maybe it won't be the greatest urban park in the world, but a vast improvement over what is existing.

 

It is a start.  Besides, after this one is finished why not move to reworking other bayous?  Perhaps some will always be channelized but why not try to move towards a more natural state?  Braes (with all its flood control improvements) would be a start.  All that would be needed is some sort of linear line connecting the two (thinking about the railroad tracks that bisect Memorial Park and form the western edge of Highland Village).  If some day those could be worked into a sort of park frontage (assuming eventually the trains will relocate - many years from now - or be submerged!)?  Wishful thinking I know.  Maybe an elevated park could be built to allow walkers/joggers/bikers ?

 

Would be neat.  Again, wishfull thinking though!

 

Maybe something like this?

 

and this?

[Texasota]

I mean yeah not saying it's pointless or doesn't look good, it definitely looks at least 1000x better than it used to, just saying that Houston will always be a swamp. We have no natural beauty so the only choice is to create our own.

 

I have a pretty serious problem with the idea that Houston has no natural beauty. If you don't think coastal prairie and pine woods are capable of being beautiful, that's totally your prerogative, but don't assume everyone else shares it.

 

Houston's problem has been that it has, at best, ignored its natural resources, and, in many cases, actually destroyed or seriously altered them. This project has actually started to change that, and so far I've been very impressed to how it's turning out, not just on it own terms, but also in comparison to river areas in Denver, Minneapolis etc. 

[BigFootsSocks]

I guess I wasn't clear enough. I personally feel (read: my opinion not every1's) that Houston pretty much looks the same throughout. I'm not saying the coast and forests aren't beautiful, they're actually really great. I'm saying that Houston looks the same pretty much throughout the 3 loops; green, wet, and brown. Other major cities have a greater variety in settings; Denver has wide open plains mixed with the cool crisp air of the Rockies. You look around outside in Denver and you see all this amazing natural beauty. Austin has their "hills", LA has the Pacific coast, Chicago has the Great Lakes. Houston's trees and bayous, while still representing beauty as we can see in this project, still aren't original. I want Houston to have some amazing natural feature that we can be proud of and something that attracts tourists, something that we want to show off to the rest of the world. I doubt non-Houstonians would really care about an (admittedly) impressively large ditch.

 

Disclosure: My opinion doesn't reflect everyone blah blah blah yall get the rest

[Triton]

This photos started to get really blurry cause it was getting dark.

 

 

 

[brijonmang]

This photos started to get really blurry cause it was getting dark.

 

 

 

 

 

Much better than my junky little cell phone pictures, thanks for sharing! I wanted to get up in that pavilion that's under construction but I was on the other side and a 9 year old's attention span is just a little too short to make the walk that much longer.

[WestUdweller]

They ought to just hold off on trying to get any sod going until after Free Press.  Just gonna get completely destroyed if they do plant grass now.

[arche_757]

I guess I wasn't clear enough. I personally feel (read: my opinion not every1's) that Houston pretty much looks the same throughout. I'm not saying the coast and forests aren't beautiful, they're actually really great. I'm saying that Houston looks the same pretty much throughout the 3 loops; green, wet, and brown. Other major cities have a greater variety in settings; Denver has wide open plains mixed with the cool crisp air of the Rockies. You look around outside in Denver and you see all this amazing natural beauty. Austin has their "hills", LA has the Pacific coast, Chicago has the Great Lakes. Houston's trees and bayous, while still representing beauty as we can see in this project, still aren't original. I want Houston to have some amazing natural feature that we can be proud of and something that attracts tourists, something that we want to show off to the rest of the world. I doubt non-Houstonians would really care about an (admittedly) impressively large ditch.

 

Disclosure: My opinion doesn't reflect everyone blah blah blah yall get the rest

 

 

I do understand what you're saying:

 

I'm going to nitpick....  [Denver, LA, Chicago all have a unique natural feature.  Austin does not.  The "hill" country is pretty, but hardly worthy of the definition of beautiful.  And Austin's now nearly dry man-made lakes look terrible, Towne Lake (or whatever nonsense its called) is decent, but at the expense of the Colorado River and Lake Travis (and others).  Denver would be ugly as sin if not for the Rockies 50 miles away.  Chicago shares the great lakes with: Milwaukee, Detroit (sorta), Cleveland, Buffalo (sorta) and Toronto.] ...end nitpicking

 

The most glaring problem with Houston is: A) Not close enough to Galveston Bay. and That Bay is soooooooooo heavily industrialized (at our expense - at the nations benefit) that its hardly scenic any more.  Unfortunately industry has made Galveston Bay its playground.  Yes we've grown rich off that industry but perhaps it could have been contained a little better?  Who knows.

 

 

[ricco67]

arch, you also have to remember that industries and cities around the world started on shorelines. it's not a unique thing to Houston.

There have been cities that "reclaimed" the seaside for residential and tourism, as well as green space, but it was only after the various industries failed.

now that some want to come back (fishing and ship building), they are unable to because they're unable to reestablish itself because of the huge tracks of land required that are now prohibitively expensive.

it is a blessing but also a curse to have a nice seaside community, but there would be little work for those that are unable to afford the scenic views.

[arche_757]

^very true.  Its trying to establish the industry and still leave wetlands and scenic open space + potential land for residential along busy waterways that's the trick.  Galveston Bay is the largest inlet this side of Chesapeake Bay (I do believe) so there is plenty of land for all, I don't think the refineries needed to be clustered so tightly along the shoreline.  Perhaps better foresight into seeing Houston becoming one of the worlds largest industrial centers back in the 1930s or 1940s would have helped our "problems" now?  Of course I'm kind of the opinion that what we have - massive industrialized shipping/refining basin - is a good problem to have!

[ricco67]

You also have to remember the was a different mindset about the environment at the time.

[arche_757]

Indeed.  Industry trumped everything.  Now, environment trumps everything.  Odd how we have changed.  I wonder if we still built willy-nilly nationwide exactly what our economy.

[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