Sharpstown Community Design Workshop

SHARPSTOWN COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOP

Homa Ansari Jeff Lemley Cara Murray Andrew Parker Monica Rivas

SHARPSTOWN COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOP

Homa Ansari Jeff Lemley Cara Murray Andrew Parker Monica Rivas

CONTENTS

02 INTRODUCTION Super Neighborhood Boundaries Market Zones

10 CONTEXT General Population Housing Education Transportation

46 STRATEGIES Overview Reframing Open Space Optimizing Transit Stitching Corridors

82 CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION Super Neighborhood Boundaries Market Zones

Sharpstown, Super Neighborhood 26, is located in the Southwest region of Houston, Texas. It is a vibrant, diverse community with an interesting history, and a uniquely built landscape. Sharpstown, with its abundance of mixed uses, varied residential housing, vast parking lots and strip malls is over two times denser than the city as a whole. The neighborhood is defined by the dichotomous characteristics of sprawl and density, creating a unique urban planning challenge.

INTRODUCTION | Super Neighborhood

4

Sharpstown is bound by Westpark Tollway to the north, Hillcroft Ave. to the east, Bissonnet St. to the south and Beltway 8 to the west. There are also major physical boundaries within Sharpstown. The most dominant barrier is U.S. 59/ Southwest Freeway, averaging 300 feet wide.

Although initially constructed so that residents of Sharpstown could have a direct route to the Galleria and Downtown, the Southwest Freeway creates a major pedestrian obstruction between the southeast (predominantly single family housing) portion of Sharpstown, and the rest of the neighborhood (multifamily housing, public institutions and commercial buildings). Although less extreme than the Southwest Freeway, Bellaire Blvd. is a significant barrier splitting Sharpstown North from South. It spans at least three lanes in each direction, ranges over 100 feet wide, and is dominated by commercial activity and automobile traffic.

WESTPARK

TOLLWAY

HARWIN

FONDREN

GESSNER

8 BELLAIRE

HILLCROFT

BEECHNUT

BRAYS

BIS

T

NE

N SO

BAYOU

INTRODUCTION | Boundaries

6

University South Asia Sharpstown Chinatown Harwin Westwood

Sharpstown is managed by the Southwest Management District, which is tasked with enhancing the physical, social, and economic well being of the community.

With such a large area with a variety of cultures and interests, the district is divided into six Market Zones easily identified by color-coded street signage.

INTRODUCTION | Market Zones

8

CONTEXT General Population Housing Education Transportation

Started by Frank Sharp in the mid 1950’s, Sharpstown was one of the largest housing developments in the United States complete with a shopping center and golf course. At the time, the neighborhood was predominantly single-family homes but the 1960’s saw a surge in construction of many multifamily housing complexes. Although only 15 minutes from downtown, due to the construction of the Southwest Freeway, Sharpstown was initially considered a suburb. It was thought to be an escape from urban life.

In the 1970s and 80s, as Houston continued to sprawl and new suburbs emerged out past Sharpstown, many residents left for these newer developments. Home and rental prices in Sharpstown declined, and as single renters moved out of the apartment complexes, low-income families moved in. Many of these families were minority populations, and many first generation immigrants. The dense, diverse Sharpstown we know today had begun to take form.

CONTEXT | General

12

Developer Frank Sharp begins construction on Sharpstown

Frank Sharp donated a 300 ft wide right-of-way strip through his land for the construction of U.S. Highway 59 / Southwest Freeway.

1950

As many singles leave the multi-family housing in Sharpstown, families move in. For the first time in Sharpstown the majority of residents are renters living in multifamily housing

Houston’s first air-conditioned, enclosed shopping mall, Sharpstown Center is completed

Southwest Freeway is completed.

1960

1970

Sharpstown Scandal

The majority of the single family homes south of U.S. Highway 59 were constructed during this time.

Homes North of U.S. Highway 59, and the majority of the multifamily housing in Sharpstown were constructed during this time.

Houston Baptist University Founded Strake Jesuite College Prepator Founded

1980

Growth in African American population.

1990

Crime is at an all time high in Sharpstown

Median home price doubles since 2000

2000

Renewed interest in revitalizing Sharpstown

2010

Growth in Hispanic and Asian population.

CONTEXT | General

14

1944

1978

In the sixty-one years since Sharpstown was dedicated, the land has been transformed from open prairie and farming to a highly dense amalgamation of residential and commercial development.

2015

CONTEXT | General

16

BRAYS

BAYOU

100-Year Flood Plain 500-Year Flood Plain

While the 100-year flood plain affects roughly 25% of the land within Sharpstown, the 500-year increases to roughly half of the entire neighborhood. Those effected by continuous floods along Brays Bayou are predominately single-family and multi-family housing developments.

CONTEXT | General

18

In recent years, statistics have shown Sharpstown to have more total crimes committed than any other area in Houston. However, with the neighborhoods’ extremely high density, the increased numbers are not surprising. Most of the crime ‘hot spots’ are located in areas of multi-family housing developments where density is at its highest.

High Low HPD Crime Data, Trulia.

CONTEXT | General

20

Sharpstown’s youth population has been steadily growing since 1980. Today the population of Sharpstown under the age of 18 accounts for over a quarter of the total population at 28%. This is greater than the Houston average and demonstrates a high need for youth programming in the area.

Total Population: 77,309 Age Breakdown: 2014 under 5

5-17

18-24

25-34

35-54

55-74

75 and greater

4.1%

9.3% 18.7%

12.5%

12.3%

17.1% 26%

Percent of Population under 18: SHARPSTOWN

HOUSTON

1980

1990

2000

2014

2014

19.5%

23.1%

27.3%

28%

25.3%

U.S. Census Bureau/ Social Explorer.

100 90 80 70 60 50 (%)

40 30 20 10 0

1970

1980

1990

2000

2014

U.S. Census Bureau/ Social Explorer.

White Hispanic Black Asian

In the 1980s the neighborhood, which had previously been primarily Caucasian, began to diversify and has continued to do so over the years.

CONTEXT | Population

22

Over half of Sharpstown’s population is first generation immigrants. This is much higher than the percent foreign-born population in Houston as a whole.

Such a high portion of first generation immigrants has lead to a strong presence of a variety of cultures. Signs, small grocers, restaurants and a variety of shops can be found catering to various cultures in various languages. It is this strong representation of cultures from around the world that makes Sharpstown such a unique environment.

Mexico 27.3%

Cuba 3.6%

Guatemala 8.3% Honduras 6.2%

Iraq 2.0%

El Salvador 14.6%

Africa 7.3% Egypt Ethiopia Kenya Liberia Nigeria

China 9.4%

South Central Asia 4.3%

Thailand 2.1%

Vietnam 5.1%

Afghanistan Bangladesh India Iran Pakistan

Foreign Born Population 53% U.S. Census Bureau/ Social Explorer.

CONTEXT | Population

24

Poverty levels are most high in the northwest and northeast portions of Sharpstown. In these areas over 40% of the residents live in poverty. The percent of residents living in poverty is high throughout the multifamily housing, and drastically less so in the single-family areas.

% BELOW THE POVERTY LINE

The New York Times. Mapping Poverty in America.

American Community Survey, 2008-2012.

POVERTY THRESHHOLDS IN 2012 $23,283 Family of 4 $11,945 Individual under 65

0-10 10-20 20-30 30-40 > 40

CONTEXT | Population

26

Single-family Residential Milti-family Residential Commercial Industrial Public & Institutional

Despite the single-family housing occupying significantly more land area than the multi-family developments, multi-family housing residents make up the largest portion of Sharpstown’s population.

The single-family housing exists in groups, like smaller neighborhoods within the Super Neighborhood. Some multi-family developments are found on the edges of the single-family housing clusters but the majority of the complexes are islands surrounded by commercial, industrial, and public/institutional buildings.

CONTEXT | Housing

28

Person/sq mile < 6,000 6,000 - 8,999 9,000 - 11,999 12,000 - 15,000 > 15,000 Max = 17,453 U.S. Census Bureau/ Social Explorer.

Sharpstown is almost 3 times as dense as all of Houston. The highest density occurs in the northwest and northeast portions of the neighborhood. These areas are characterized by multifamily housing.

Although density in Sharpstown in correlated with some negative conditions such as crime, density creates the potential for walkability and connectivity.

CONTEXT | Housing

30

Renter | Owner Occupied 1970

1980

25.1%%

27.2%%

60.5%

72.8%

39.5%

Owner

1990

74.9%

2000 27%%

73%

2014 27.8%%

72.2%

Houston 44.5% 55.5%

Renter

Single Family Housing | Multi-Family Housing 1970

1980

64%

27.7%

24%

27.8%

28.1%

36.7%

72.1%

74.8%

72%

71.6%

Single Family Housing

Duplex and Fourplex

1990

2000

2014

Multi-Family Housing U.S. Census Bureau/ Social Explorer.

In the 1970’s there was a significant increase in the percent of Sharpstown’s residents that rented, and lived in multi-family housing. The fluctuation was caused by a flood of singles, residing in multi-family apartment complexes, moving out, and low-income families moving in. This in turn also increased the density. Today, almost three-quarters of Sharpstown’s population rents and lives in multi-family housing developments.

CONTEXT | Housing

32

Sharpstown contains, and is in close proximity to some great parks. The single-family houses are well served by outdoor public space. However the multi-family housing in the northwest and northeast portions of Sharpstown do not have a park within a quarter mile of them, making them park deprived.

A lack of park access is most devastating to youth living in multi-family housing. Unlike those living in single-family housing, these children do not have access to a back or front yard to play in, so public outdoor space is a crucial outlet. Parks provide opportunities for physical activity, social engagement, and cognitive stimulation, all essential in healthy development. Parks also provide safe outlets for youth.

CONTEXT | Housing

34

Liberty High

Jane Long Academy Sharpstown International Neff

William Sutton

Edward H. White Bonham

Sugar Grove Sharpstown

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL

Bonham Elementary

Sugar Grove Academy

Sharpstown High School CONTEXT | Education

36

The majority of Sharpstown is within the Houston Independent School District (HISD) with the exception of just one school in Alief Independent School District (AISD). The majority of youth attending public school in Sharpstown are “At Risk” and “Economically Disadvantaged”. For many of the schools in Sharpstown the percent of children identified as “At Risk” and “Economically Disadvantaged” is higher than Houston’s (HISD’s) average.

Elementry School

Enrollment

Edward H. White Neff Bonham Sutton

849 774 1083 1125

HISD Average

At-Risk

Econ. Disadv.

84% 78% 91% 90%

84% 88% 94% 83%

78%

85%

57% 74% 79%

95% 91% 73%

54%

81%

90% 98%

94% 97%

62%

74%

Middle School Sharpstown International Jane Long Academy Sugar Grove

1032 1041 797

HISD Average

High School Sharpstown Liberty HISD Average

1545 462

Houston Independent School District.

CONTEXT | Education

38

2%

85.7%

3.8%

83.4%

3.1%

8.6%

1990

SHARPSTOWN

Individual Public Transportation Pedestrian Other U.S. Census Bureau/ Social Explorer.

3.9%

84.9%

4.7%

9.6%

2000

3.6%

88.1%

4.9%

2.6% 4.4%

6.8%

2014

2014

HOUSTON

DOWNTOWN

SHARPSTOWN

The sprawl of Sharpstown is easily visible when a one square mile sampling of street patterns is compared to the same size area of downtown Houston.

The distance between major intersections and lack of crosswalks makes Sharpstown an unsafe and difficult neighborhood for pedestrians. The sprawl is a result of suburban development in the 1950s, which was heavily focused on the automobile for transportation.

CONTEXT | Transportation

40

GALLERIA

HILLCROFT TRANSIT CENTER

DOWNTOWN

MUSEUM DISTRICT

TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER 002 Bellaire 004 Beechnut 046 Gessner 063 Fondren 151 Westpark Express 152 Harwin Express 153 Harwin Express 402 Bellaire Quickline Red (Main Street) Rail Line East End Rail Line Southeast Rail Line University Rail Line (Future) Uptown Rail Line (Future) CONTEXT | Transportation

42

7884

6378

7364

Weekend Average

3704

1605

1968 792

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40

2

Be

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tp ar k

Ex

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718

Ex 15 1

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15

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15

pr es

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3 06

H

ill

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pr es s

1563

951

G

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00 9

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Be

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ol

m

hn

ut

ire lla Be 00 2

2165

2510 1622

2123

2967

Houston Metro Annual Report.

ck l

4090

4332

4823

Weekday Average

Although the landscape in Sharpstown caters to the car, Sharpstownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bus rider ship is roughly double the Houston average. The Bellaire and Beechnut lines have the highest ridership in Sharpstown and are among the highest in Houston as a whole.

CONTEXT | Transportation

44

STRATEGIES CONTEXT General Reframing PopulationOpen Housing Overview Space Education Transportation Optimizing Transit Stitching Corridors

STRENGTHS

OPPORTUNITIES

Diversity

Density

Public Transportation

Reframing Open Space

Use of Existing Parks

Stitching Corridors Optimizing Transit

WEAKNESSES

THREATS

Children at Risk

Flooding

Limited Open Space

Traffic

Lack of Connectivity

Pedestrian- Car Accidents

Reframing Open Space

Stitching Corridors

Optimizing Transit

Designing new ways of linking existing amenities, to bridge physical and symbolic boundaries in Sharpstown.

STRATEGIES | Overview

48

Sharpstown is a community that offers many amenities and provides ample park space to its residents, however there are many barriers prohibiting accessible connection to these spaces for all residents.

Through implementing park space by repurposing the PlazAmericas surface parking area and converting drainage areas into programmable park space nearly all of the community will be within 1/2 mile of a park space.

Our goal is to provide connections and links in both the North-South and East-West directions to create an interwoven fabric of green spaces that provide a largely immigrant population with the means of pedestrian movement, connecting key amenities of Sharpstown to others within and beyond the community. This fabric doubles to protect the community during periods of heavy rain and flooding by increasing the porosity of existing drainages through â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;softeningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; their edges with native species and methods reminiscent of the areas historical ecology. Additional connectivity and mobility would be facilitated by a new transit plan for Bellaire.

STRATEGIES | Overview

50

Originally Sharpstown Shopping Center, PlazAmericas has seen a major decline in use over the years. Today the mall is mainly a shell, with many of its shops vacant.

However, reflective of the entrepreneurial spirit found in Sharpstown, smaller local shops and vendors have set up inside. These small shops are the reason that there is still some activity in and around the mall.

However these local vendors do not bring in enough visitors to fill up the large parking lot that surrounds PlazAmericas. On any given day you will find that most of the parking around PlazAmericas is vacant.

The location of PlazAmericas is ideal in that it is located in the Northwest region of Sharpstown. This is one of the two areas found to be park deprived and to have high levels of poverty and crime. By congregating all of the parking to one section of the site, the rest of the PlazAmericas parking lot could be transformed into park space. This proposal would provide the youth living in the nearby multifamily housing a space to play, and could generally act as a space for the Sharpstown community to gather and connect. By maintaining some of the parking for PlazAmericas, the local shops inside could continue to do business and may even grow do to the increased activity occurring just outside.

STRATEGIES | Reframing Open Space

52

Unused parking repurposed for activities

STRATEGIES | Reframing Open Space

54

Tuesday October 21, 2014

Saturday August 01, 2015

Saturday November 14, 2015

10%

14%

16%

USED

USED

USED

Thursday February 04, 2016

09% USED

Analysis of PlazAmericas parking lot usage on random days throughout the year yields results ranging from 9-16%. This creates a large area of under utilized real estate in the heart of Sharpstown. In addition, the vast amount of concrete adds to urban runoff conditions and makes Sharpstown more prone to urban flooding.

STRATEGIES | Reframing Open Space

56

AMOUNT OF UNUSED PARKING ON A GIVEN DAY = 2.7

MILLION SQ. FT.

2.7 MILLION SQ. FT. =

67

JAMAIL SKATE PARKS

38

SOCCER FIELDS

4.7

DISCOVERY GREENS

Ferris Wheel

Soccer Fields

Volleyball Courts

Skate Park

Basketball Court Bike Track

STRATEGIES | Reframing Open Space

58

In 2013 former Mayor Annise Parker issued an executive order on Complete Streets. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Complete Streetsâ&#x20AC;? was supposed to ensure that all new street construction would make pedestrian and bicyclist mobility safer and more accessible, as well as making public transport more accessible.

Bellaire Boulevard was reconstructed, beginning in 2012 and completed in 2014. Although new cross walk signals were put in place, very little else was done to consider pedestrian and bike transport.

Instead Bellaire was widened to include left turn only lanes, to allow for greater vehicle traffic.

Bellaire is a major corridor connecting east and west Sharpstown. Residents of Sharpstown feel that a large portion of the vehicular traffic moving through Sharpstown on Bellaire is not Sharpstown residents, but rather people moving through Sharpstown to work and home.

Many residence of Sharpstown already use public transport and walk. This proposal facilitates their ability to move throughout the community.

Here we propose a bus rapid transit lane in each direction. This means that public transport would have its own lane, and therefore would not have to wait in the same traffic as the personal car. This proposal also introduces a bike lane to Bellaire, as well as makes pedestrian mobility more comfortable.

STRATEGIES | Optimizing Transit

60

Median converted rain garden and pedestrian path Dedicated bus lane added

STRATEGIES | Optimizing Transit

62

Bus Rapid Transit Lane

Thin Median Retained

Bus Rapid Transit Lane

Rain Garden and Pedestrian Area

Bellaire where 3 lanes each direction

Bus Rapid Transit Lane

Lanes reduced to three to widen median

Bus Rapid Transit Lane

Widened Green Belt and Rain Garden

Bellaire where 4 lanes each direction

Bus Rapid Transit Lane

Median becomes rain garden and biking/running trail

Bus Rapid Transit Lane

Hillcroft where 3 lanes each direction

STRATEGIES | Optimizing Transit

64

A utility easement and several drainage passageways run North-South through the Western portion of Sharpstown. This proposal reimagines this infrastructure as park corridors with bike and walking paths as well as other programing to stitch the community together. Not only do these park corridors provide the Northwest portion of Sharpstown direct access to strips of open space, it also provides a system for residents to connect to parks in the areas of the single-family homes.

Moving South from Westpark, the Utility Easement Park intersects Bellaire, where residents could take advantage of the proposed bike lane or hop on the revitalized public transit, perhaps connecting to PlazAmericas Park at the East side of Sharpstown.

Continuing on South, the Utility Easement eventually intersects Brays Bayou where it connects to existing bike paths along the bayou.

At its North end, the Utility Easements connects to Westpark. Westpark Toll Way runs East-West, and is flanked by a wide strip of land. The proposed strategy suggests that the pedestrian and biking program occurring on the Utility Easement Park would continue to this area, creating an additional bike and walk path allowing resident to move from East-West.

STRATEGIES | Stitching Corridors

66

Drainages converted to flood parks and trail system

STRATEGIES | Stitching Corridors

68

STRATEGIES | Stitching Corridors

70

Existing Condition

Running Trail Community Garden Biking/Walking Trail Indigenous Aquatic Vegetation

Proposed Concept

Drainages provide an opportunity to create flood parks and community connectivity parks that link the East-West systems together. The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;softenedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; edge allows water to be more easily absorbed.

The park is arranged to accomodate for rising water levels.

STRATEGIES | Stitching Corridors

72

Easements established as park areas and community gardens

STRATEGIES | Stitching Corridors

74

The utility easement that runs parallel to Westpark is already used as a pedestrian path.

Our proposal enhances the functions that this area is serving to convert it into a widely used pedestrian park that provides connectivity along the Northern edge of Sharpstown.

Existing Condition

Running Trail Art Wall

Uninterupted Bike Route

Proposed Concept

STRATEGIES | Stitching Corridors

76

STRATEGIES | Stitching Corridors

78

Brays Bayou is already a natural area and portions of it outside the Sharpstown boundary have been turned into parks. Our proposal connects to the existing park infrastructure and provides lateral connectivity along Sharpstownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s southern boundary.

Proposed Concept

Biking/Walking Trail

Community Garden

Running Trail

Indigenous Aquatic Vegetation

STRATEGIES | Stitching Corridors

80

INTRODUCTION STRATEGIES CONCLUSION CONTEXT General Reframing Population Housing Super Neighborhood Boundaries Space Market Zones Overview Open Education Transportation Optimizing Transit Stitching Corridors

WEAKNESSES / THREATS

Children at Risk

STRATEGIES

Reframing Open Space

Limited Open Space Lack of Connectivity Flooding Traffic

Stitching Corridors

Pedestrian- Car Accidents

Optimizing Transit

INTERVENTIONS

SITES

Westpark Utility Easement Drainage Ditch Brays Bayou

Pedestrian Path Bike Trail Bike Lane Bus Rapid Transit

PlazAmericas

Youth Programming Community Gardens

Bellaire

Hillcroft CONCLUSION

84