To: Annise Parker, Mayor of Houston
May 1,000 Night Walks Bloom
Victory! The creator of this petition declared the campaign a success. You can still sign the petition to show support.
We call on Mayor Annise Parker and City Council to open up a Houston street to pedestrians once a week.
According to the Kinder Houston Area Survey, a majority of Houstonians prefer a more urban city. Rice University sociologist Stephen Klineberg reported that the percentage of Harris County residents who would opt for a home "within walking distance of shops and workplaces" jumped to 52 percent in 2012. [1] Unfortunately, Houstonians have almost no choices when it comes to walkable neighborhoods.
Though creating a pedestrian-friendly Houston will take time, we can begin now. Let's start making the dream real with one street once a week. Pedestrian promenades have worked from Tokyo to New York and from Barcelona to Guadalajara.
Options abound: McKinney downtown (between City Hall and Discovery Green), Rice Boulevard (between Main and Kirby), or Harrisburg. Westheimer between Shepherd and Bagby has been hailed as "the best restaurant row in Texas" and as a potential "great urban promenade." [2]
After seeing such a street in Ciudad Victoria, Mexico, one Houstonian wrote, "Just let pedestrians take over once a week. Let a thousand Sunday night walks bloom. Just a simple avenue for families to walk a stretch in the company of others. A boost for local businesses. A reason to get out on a Sunday night no matter the time of year. A space for performance artists and musicians and writers to interact directly with a wider public." [3]
We want a street for walking and we'll be there when it happens!
[1] Klineberg, Stephen and Emily Braswell. "Is Houston About to Experience an 'Urban Renaissance? Findings from the Kinder Houston Area Survey (1995-2012)." Cite: The Architecture + Design Review of Houston. Fall 2012 (90).
[2] Theis, David. "Westheimer on Foot: Home of the Hip. Walk of the Brave." Cite: The Architecture + Design Review of Houston. Summer 2012 (89).
[3] Pluecker, John. "These Streets Are Made for Walking (And That’s Just What We’ll Do)." OffCite.org. Published December 21, 2012.
Why is this important?
According to the Kinder Houston Area Survey, a majority of Houstonians say the want a more walkable city. Let's get starting making that city real by closing off a street to cars and opening it to pedestrians once a week.