Houston, United States of America

Abstract

The City of Houston is considered the fossil fuel capital of the world, whose mid-century urban development strategy advanced the conditions of sprawl through car-friendly modernism. Always flood prone and vulnerable to hurricanes, Houston’s disastrous experience of hurricane Harvey opened up the minds of its residents to the necessity of climate policies. The chapter examines different approaches taken by the city, from urban resilience strategies to storm mitigation through coastal wetland restoration. The model presented by Houston adds to the “water-sensitive” concept forwarded by Melbourne by including large-scale restoration policies of coastal storm breaks and habitat restoration that also benefit migratory corridors for birds and other wildlife. Houston’s bold new direction is problematized by the continued economic reliance on fossil fuels, as well as the contradictory transportation policies of widening freeways at the expense of housing density. While the case of Houston introduces the considerable strategy of restoration as an important barrier to storm surges and the worst impacts of storm systems, its contradictions continue to reflect those of the broader modern world, maintaining the path of past policies shown to exacerbate climate change while implementing reforms that may confront symptoms of climate change without disturbing the primary causes.