A project aims to increase Houston’s walkability by transforming seven blocks in downtown into a car-free, pedestrian-friendly destination. The project, dubbed More Space: Main Street 2.0, will extend Main Street from Commerce to Rusk and add four additional blocks from Rusk to Allen’s Landing, bringing the area to span a total of 11 blocks. This expansion will permanently block off traffic to the area, creating a promenade where people can safely eat, shop and gather.  Click to expand Originally launched as a response to support local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the More Space: Main Street 2.0 project initially enabled businesses to utilize roadway space for outdoor dining while people enjoyed expanded walking areas. The program’s popularity led the Houston City Council to formally approve its permanent implementation in 2023, with the goal of attracting more visitors to the area.  Click to expand Spearheaded by Downtown Houston+, the project is currently in its final design and engineering stages, which include plans for new safety crossings, shaded social areas, landscaping and public art installations. Construction is scheduled to commence in 2025 and expected to finish ahead of the city’s FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches.  "The Main Street Promenade is a transformative project defining the next chapter of Main Street and Downtown," Mayor John Whitmire said in a news release, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. "I am excited about the City's future, including downtown, where we are designing a destination that attracts more people to work, live and play."  More Space: Main Street 2.0 is just one of several initiatives underway aimed at improving walkability in Houston. Another project, East Blocks, led by real estate developers Pagewood and Wile Interests, will convert warehouses in East Downtown into a walkable 10-block mixed-use district. Additionally, The Plant, a 17-acre mixed-use district, will revamp the historic streets of Second Ward, establishing a pedestrian-friendly district lined with a diverse mix of restaurants and shops.  Discover more about living in Houston. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced it has allocated $500,000 to Galveston’s Coastal Barrier Project, also known as Ike Dike, a crucial project that aims to mitigate crippling flooding from catastrophic storm surges in vulnerable communities along the coastline.   The first round of funding will facilitate the preconstruction engineering and design phase of the first segment of the Bolivar Peninsula and West Bay Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Shoreline and Island Protection feature, commonly referred to as Ecosystem Restoration feature G-28, according to the Gulf Coast Protection District.   Click to expand The project includes the Galveston Bay Storm Surge Barrier System, which encompasses eight Gulf and Bay defense projects. Among these is the Bolivar Roads Gate System, a two-mile-long closure structure situated between Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula. The barrier is designed to diminish storm surge volumes entering the bay, offering direct protection against storm surges for communities residing on the barrier island.  Meanwhile, the West Bay Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Shoreline and Island Protection portion of the project will focus on coastal restoration, including beach and dune segments on Bolivar Peninsula and West Galveston Island. It will also protect critical fish and wildlife habitat against coastal storms and erosion processes.  In addition to enhancing coastal resilience and protecting vulnerable communities from storm surges, this critical project will save tens of billions of dollars in disaster recovery funding and safeguard the Houston Ship Channel, which serves as an economic engine helping to power the region and nation.  “The Coastal Texas Project is one of the largest projects in the history of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,” said Col. Rhett A. Blackmon, USACE Galveston District commander, in a statement. “This project is important to the nation for many reasons. Not only will it reduce risk to the vulnerable populations along the Texas coast, but it will also protect vital ecosystems and economically critical infrastructure vital to the U.S. supply chain and the many global industries located here.”  The Greater Houston Partnership has actively advocated to propel the Coastal Texas Project and other initiatives like it forward for years. The organization most recently visited Washington, D.C., to advocate for the use of funds from the new Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program, which would provide billions of dollars for flood mitigation projects in the Houston region.  The Houston region consistently works to identify flood mitigation solutions and funding opportunities. Most recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation granted Harris County and the Houston-Galveston Area Council over $10 million to bolster transportation infrastructure projects that aim to enhance resiliency against climate change.  Learn more about the Coastal Texas Project.