David Crossley pointing out urban heat islands in Houston

The Gulf Coast Institute (GCI) wants to help Houston grow by contributing information about the region’s inevitable expansion. “I’m asking that we put some intelligence into our growth so we produce places people really love,” explains executive director David Crossley. “People like the notion of a town where there’s a center, where kids can walk to school, where residents can walk to the store, where there’s a place for people to run into one another.That’s what development was like for centuries.

“Today, if you ask people about population density, most of them say they don’t like it. But if you show them pictures and ask them to pick which neighborhood they’d like to live in, they always pick the most dense one.” Because Mr. Crossley recognizes the power of pictures, GCI produces multilayered images of data so that politicians, civic leaders, developers and citizens can visualize and understand the implications of their choices.

For example, a GCI map of proposed transit lines superimposed over a population density map shows the most logical routes. A map of urban heat islands, which contribute to ozone formation, helps explain where reflective white roofs, gray concrete and more trees would make a difference. Maps show that the entire area actually is one big natural drainage system, and they illustrate where it floods and where to build. “We forget that our environment is based on the Gulf Coast,” observes Mr. Crossley. “We’re trying to get people to think of this as the Gulf Coast region instead of the Houston-Galveston area.”

In addition to changing labels and perception, GCI would also like to see a comprehensive planning process begin that integrates land use, transportation, the environment and the economy. Mr. Crossley says, “Let’s think about them all together
so, for example, we have affordable housing projects that correspond to transit plans, retail development and hospital construction. They need to be connected, not independent from one another.”

He continues, “We need to focus on how people want to live. Eighty percent of our car trips are not about going to work, they’re about running errands. I’d like to see walkable, interesting communities that bring daily amenities close to home. “We’re not talking about imposing boundaries or forcing people out of their cars,” he quickly adds. “We’re talking about more choices, about local control and about having some say about what happens
within neighborhoods. We’re also talking about staying competitive with other large cities by creating a cleaner, more healthy environment.”

Mr. Crossley spends most of his time organizing conferences, making presentations and serving on boards, commissions and committees so he can provide data to decision-makers about the area. He says, “Our mission is about using information and research to help the Gulf Coast area become a place where people are comfortable and happy to live, where there are great urban places in a natural environment that’s rich and useful for everyone.”

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