PI: Bob Harriss

The project will document environmental, economic, and demographic trends in Houston’s Historic Third Ward, 1950-present. The quantitative environmental information will be complemented by qualitative interviews with three generations of Third Ward residents recording their personal memories and experiences with environmental and land use changes.  The outcome of the project will provide an important perspective on how the Third Ward community has perceived the costs, benefits, and trade-offs related to changes in their immediate surroundings. The period of study includes major changes in infrastructure, the rise of environmental justice concerns, and numerous extreme weather and climate events. To our knowledge this will be the first comprehensive environmental history of the Third Ward conducted at the community-scale and focused on socioecological resilience and vulnerability to environmental change. The results of the study will inform City of Houston decision-makers, and will contribute to fundamental knowledge on planning for more resilient and sustainable urban futures.

ThirdWard.HARC.edu