BetterHouston a finalist for an ArtsPlace Grant!

We are thrilled to announce that BetterHouston has been chosen as a finalist for an ArtsPlace Grant for the ArtWAVE initiative.  The official announcement and a list of all the finalists can be found HERE.

In an effort to begin implementation of some of the recommendations proposed in the
Washington Avenue Livable Centers Study, BetterHouston and Asakura Robinson, in conjunction with Crockett Elementary, MECA, and several other community partners submitted an application for the Grant in November.  The Grant would jumpstart some of our placemaking initiatives, in particular those concerning parks and open spaces, public art, and locally-scaled businesses.  The community spent many hours at the end of last year working towards submitting a strong application and their hard work and dedication has resulted in our position as a finalist.

We are excited to move forward as we work with the community and BetterHouston to submit a full proposal!  Stay tuned for the results….

Video Overview

We’ve created a short video overview of the Washington Avenue Livable Centers Plan! Check it out!

Washington Avenue Livable Centers Plan from Asakura Robinson on Vimeo.

Help Shape the Future of our Region

In less than 30 years, our region is expected to add 3.5 million people. The Houston-Galveston Area Council is currently working with a group of regional partners to create a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development that will look at current and future opportunities to meet the needs of the diverse communities and residents of the region in a manner that doesn’t compromise the needs of future generations. The plan will lay out goals for the region, develop metrics to assess sustainability, analyze regional scenarios, and recommend implementation strategies.

We invite you to take a 10-minute survey about four alternative futures we could pursue: Current Course, Less Time on the Road, Greener Region, and Competitive Workforce. We want to hear what you think about these alternatives and the tradeoffs involved with each of them.

To learn more about the alternatives and make your voice heard,

TAKE THE SURVEY

Survey respondents will be entered in a drawing for one of four $25 Amazon.com gift certificates to be given away each week.

The survey will be available through November 16, 2012.

Public Meeting 3 Presentation Boards

Thanks to all of the community members who joined us last night at the Winter Street Studios! If you missed the meeting, or just want a longer look at our recommendations, click the image below to download a copy of the display boards.

Public Meeting 3 Time and Location Set!

Public Meeting Two Presentation and Poll

Did you miss our second public meeting? Below you’ll find the presentation we gave that night! Once you’ve looked through  visit our poll to vote on what you think the most important recommendations to the future of Washington Avenue are!

View this document on Scribd

Public Meeting No. 2

Seventy attendees to last night’s public meeting cast their votes for their top five conceptual ideas that will have the most immediate impact in shaping the neighborhood.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Public Meeting One Presentation

Want to catch up on what we’ve done so far before Thursday’s Public Meeting? Here’s the presentation:

View this document on Scribd

Public Meeting #2 Time and Date Set

Better Block event coming to Washington Avenue

Join us on the afternoon of May 12th for the Better Block on Walkable Washington, lead by BetterHouston as a part of the current Livable Centers study for the Washington Avenue corridor. If you are unfamiliar with Better Block, it’s a day-long showcase of what a Complete Street might look like, with more pedestrian amenities, transportation options, and a vibrant street life. The movement started in Dallas, but has spread to cities across the country as a successful way to help communities envision what is possible! You can learn more at the official Better Block website here, and if you have a few more minutes, watch this inspiring TEDx talk by the guy who helped plan the first Better Block here.

If you and/or your organization would be interested in getting involved in the events of the day — from getting volunteers out there the day of the event to help out, to having a table with information about your organization, to helping design, build or plan the various physical elements or activities that we’ll include in the Better Block — please email betterblock@betterhouston.org.

It’s scheduled for Saturday, May 12th, right after the Art Car Parade, and will last from 3pm till 10pm. The “better blocks” we’ll work with on Wash Ave are the ones with Liberty Station and that little triangle parking lot next door (2100-2000 blocks).

The purpose of this event is to expose more residents, businesses, and civic leaders to the benefits of Complete Streets and how cool Better Blocks can be!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email us at betterblock@betterhouston.org. Washington Avenue is a great place to show Houston what a Complete Street could look like, and we hope to see you there!

If you’d like to help plan and execute the event, join us:

Better Block Planning Meetings
Every Tuesday
5:30-6:30pm
Liberty Station
2101 Washington Avenue