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The Sharpstown Briefing Book includes the neighborhood's context, demographics and opportunities as part of our fourth biennial Collaborative Community Design Initiative
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SharpstownSuper Neighborhood 26
Briefing BookCollaborative Community Design Initiative. No. 4Community Design Resource Center2016
GREATERHEIGHTSHEIGTHSGREATER
GREATERHEIGHTSGREATER
HARRISBURGHARRISBURGHARRISBURG
HARRISBURG
HARRISBURGHARRISBURG
GREATERHEIGHTS
GREATER THIRD WARD
GREATER THIRD WARD
GREATER THIRD WARD GREATER THIRD WARD
GREATER THIRD WARD
GREATER THIRD WARD
INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS
INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS
INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS
INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS
INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS
IAH AIRPORT AREAIAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREAIAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREAIAH AIRPORT AREA IAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREAIAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREAIAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREAIAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREAIAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREAIAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREAIAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREAIAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREAIAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREAIAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREAIAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREA
IAH AIRPORT AREAIAH AIRPORT AREA
KINGWOOD KINGWOOD
KINGWOOD
WILLO
WBRO
OK
WILLO
WBRO
OK
WILLO
WBRO
OK
WILLO
WBRO
OK
GRE
ATER
HO
BBY
AREA
GRE
ATER
HO
BBY
AREA
GRE
ATER
HO
BBY
AREA
GRE
ATER
HO
BBY
AREA
GRE
ATER
HO
BBY
AREA
GRE
ATER
HO
BBY
AREA
ELDRID
GE
ELDRID
GE
WEST OAKS
WEST OAKSWEST OAKSBRIAR FOREST
BRIAR FORESTBRIAR FOREST
MEMORIALMEMORIALMEMORIALMEMORIALMEMORIAL
MEMORIALMEMORIALMEMORIALMEMORIALMEMORIAL
MEMORIALMEMORIALMEMORIAL
MEMORIALMEMORIALMEMORIAL
MEMORIAL
MEMORIALMEMORIALMEMORIAL
MEMORIAL MEMORIALMEMORIALMEMORIAL MEMORIAL
LAKE
HO
UST
ON
LAKE
HO
UST
ON
LAKE
HO
UST
ON
LAKE
HO
UST
ON
LAKE
HO
UST
ON
LAKE
HO
UST
ON
LAKE
HO
UST
ON
LAKE
HO
UST
ON
LAKE
HO
UST
ON
LAKE
HO
UST
ON
LAKE
HO
UST
ON
LAKE
HO
UST
ON
SOUTH BELT SOUTH BELTELLINGTON
SOUTH BELTELLINGTON
SOUTH BELT SOUTH BELTELLINGTON
SOUTH BELT
SOUTH BELT SOUTH BELTSOUTH BELT SOUTH BELT
SOUTH BELT SOUTH BELT
ELLINGTON
CLEA
R LA
KE
CLEA
R LA
KECL
EAR
LAKE
CLEA
R LA
KE
CLEA
R LA
KE
ADDICKSADDICKS
PARK TEN
PARK TEN
EAST HOUSTON
EAST HOUSTON
EAST HOUSTON
EAST HOUSTON
EAST HOUSTON
EAST HOUSTON
SPRING BRANCH WESTSPRING BRANCH WEST
SPRING BRANCH WESTSPRING BRANCH WEST
SPRING BRANCH WESTSPRING BRANCH WEST
SPRING BRANCH WESTSPRING BRANCH WEST
SPRING BRANCH WEST
NORTHSHORE
NORTHSHORENORTHSHORE
NORTHSHORE
EDGEBROOK AREAEDGEBROOK AREA
EDGEBROOK AREA
MIN
NET
EXM
INN
ETEX
MIN
NET
EXM
INN
ETEX
MIN
NET
EXM
INN
ETEX
MEADOWBROOKALLENDALE
MEADOWBROOKALLENDALE
MEADOWBROOKALLENDALE
MEADOWBROOK
FORT BENDHOUSTON
FORT BENDHOUSTON
EAST
EXJE
NSE
N
JEN
SEN
EAST
EX
MONT
ROSE
MONT
ROSEN
WOTR
AEN M
ON
TRO
SE
MCGREGOR MCGREGORMCGREGOR MCGREGOR
MCGREGOR MCGREGORMCGREGOR MCGREGOR
MCGREGOR MCGREGORMCGREGOR THIRD WARD
MCGREGOR MCGREGOR
DOWNTOWN
DOWNTOWN
DOWNTOWNDOWNTOWN
SUNN
YSID
ESU
NNYS
IDE
SUNN
YSID
EEA
ST L
ITTL
E YO
RKEA
ST L
ITTL
E YO
RK
EAST
LIT
TLE
YORK
EAST
LIT
TLE
YORK
EAST
LIT
TLE
YORK
EAST LITT
LE YORK
GREATER FONDREN SOUTHWESTGREATER FONDREN SOUTHWEST GREATER FONDREN SOUTHWEST
GREATER FONDREN SOUTHWESTGREATER FONDREN SOUTHWEST SOUTH ACRES
CRESTMONT PARKCRESTMONT PARKCRESTMONT PARK
CRESTMONT PARKCRESTMONT PARK
CRESTMONT PARK
SOUTH ACRESSOUTH ACRESSOUTH ACRES
FAIRBANKSFAIRBANKS FAIRBANKS
FAIRBANKS FAIRBANKS ACRES HOMESACRES HOMES
ACRES HOMESACRES HOMES
TRINITYTRINITYTRINITY
TRINITYTRINITY
LAZY BROOK
LAZY BROOK
LAZY BRO
OK
LAZY BRO
OK
GREATER UPTOWN
GREATER UPTOWNGREATER UPTOWN
GREATER UPTOWN
GREATER UPTOWN
GREATER UPTOWN
GREATER UPTOWN
GREATER UPTOWN
FONDREN GARDENS
FONDREN GARDENS
FONDREN GARDENS
WEST
WOOD
WEST
WOOD
WEST
WOOD
WEST
WOOD SOUTH PARK
SOUTH PARKSOUTH PARK
SOUTH PARKSOUTH PARK
SOUTH PARK
SPRING SHADOWSSPRING SHADOWS
SPRING SHADOWSSPRING SHADOWS
HUNTERWOODHUNTERWOOD
HUNTERWOODHUNTERWOOD
DENVER HARBOR
DENVER HARBOR
DEN
VER HARBO
R
DENVER HARBORD
ENVER H
ARBO
R
SPRING BRANCH CENTRALSPRING BRANCH CENTRAL
SPRING BRANCH CENTRAL
SPRING BRANCH CENTRAL
WASHINTON AVE.WASHINTON AVE.
WASHINTON AVE.
WASHINTON AVE.WASHINTON AVE.
WASHINTON AVE.
WASHINTON AVE.
WASHINTON AVE.
SOUTH UNIONSOUTH UNIONSOUTH UNION
SOUTH MAINSOUTH MAIN
SOUTH MAINSOUTH MAIN
BRAEBURN
BRAEBURNBRAEBURN
WESTBURYWESTBURY
WESTBURYWESTBURY
GULFGATE
GULFGATE
GULFGATEGULFGATE
GREATER FIFTH WARDGREATER FIFTH WARD
GREATER FIFTH WARD
OAK FORESTGARDEN OAKSOAK FOREST
GARDEN OAKS
OAK FOREST
GARDEN OAKS
GARDEN OAKS
EL DORADO
EL DORADO
EL DORADO
WESTCHASE
WESTCHASEWESTCHASE
MED
CEN
TER
MED
CEN
TER
MED
CEN
TER
MED
CEN
TER
MIDTOWNMIDTOWN
MIDTOWNMIDTOWN
SETTEGAS
T
NORTHSIDE VILLAGENORTHSIDE VILLAGENORTHSIDE VILLAGE
UPPER KIRBYUPPER KIRBY
UPPER KIRBY UPPER KIRBYUPPER KIRBY UPPER KIRBY
UPPER KIRBY
BRASEW
OOD PLACE
BRASEWO
OD PLACE
BRAS
EWOO
D PL
ACE
BRASEW
OOD PLACE
BRASEWO
OD PLACE
KASHMERE GARDENS KASHMERE GARDENS
KASHMERE GARDENS KASHMERE GARDENS
BINZ
BIN
Z
BIN
ZB
INZ
BIN
ZB
INZ
BIN
Z
HIDDEN VALLEY
HIDDEN VALLEY
HIDDEN VALLEY
HIDDEN VALLEY
HIDDEN VALLEY
HIDDEN VALLEY
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
GREATER INWOOD
CARVERDALECARVERDALESPRING BRANCH EAST
SPRING BRANCH EASTSPRING BRANCH EAST
FOURTH WARDFOURTH WARD
RIVER OAKSRIVER OAKS RIVER OAKS
RIVER OAKS RIVER OAKSRIVER OAKS RIVER OAKS
RIVER OAKS RIVER OAKSRIVER OAKS RIVER OAKS
RIVER OAKS RIVER OAKSRIVER OAKS
RIVER OAKS
KR
AP N
OTNI L
C
KRAP NOTNI LCKRAP NOTNI LC
GREATER EASTWOOD
GREATER EASTWOOD
GREATER EASTWOOD
GREATER EASTWOOD
MAYERLAND AREAMAYERLAND AREAMAYERLAND AREAMAYERLAND AREA ASTRODOME
ASTRODOME
ASTRODOMEASTRODOME
ASTRODOME PECAN PARKPECAN PARK
PECAN PARK
PECAN PARK
PLEASANTVILLE AREAPLEASAN
TVILLE AREA
PLEASANTVILLE AREA
LAWNDALE
LAWNDALELAWNDALE
LAWNDALELAWNDALE
LAWNDALELAWNDALE LAWNDALE
LAWNDALE
GULFTON
GU
LFTON
GU
LFTON
GU
LFTON
GU
LFTON
WILLOW MEADOWSWILLOW MEADOWS
WILLOW MEADOWS
WILLOW MEADOWS
WILLOW MEADOWS
WESTBRANCHWESTBRANCH
LANGWOOD
LANGWOODLANGWOOD
LANGWOOD
LANGWOODLANGWOOD
SECOND WARDSECOND WARD
SECOND WARDSECOND WARD
SECOND WARDSECOND WARD
SECOND WARD
UNIVERSI
TY PLA
CE
UNIVERSITY P
LACE
UNIVERSI
TY PLA
CE
GRE
ATER
GRE
ENSP
OIN
TG
REAT
ER G
REEN
SPO
INT
GRE
ATER
GRE
ENSP
OIN
TG
REAT
ER G
REEN
SPO
INT
GRE
ATER
GRE
ENSP
OIN
TG
REAT
ER G
REEN
SPO
INT
GRE
ATER
GRE
ENSP
OIN
TG
REAT
ER G
REEN
SPO
INT
GRE
ATER
GRE
ENSP
OIN
TG
REAT
ER G
REEN
SPO
INT
GRE
ATER
GRE
ENSP
OIN
TG
REAT
ER G
REEN
SPO
INT
CENTRAL SOUTHWESTCENTRAL SOUTHWEST
ALIEFALIEF
ALIEFALIEF
Mid-WestMid-West Mid-West
Mid-WestMid-West
mid-west mid-west mid-west
mid-west mid-west mid-westGREATER EASTWOOD
BELLFORTREVEILLE
GOLFCRESTREVEILLE
GOLFCRESTBELLFORT
REVEILLEGOLFCREST
BELLFORTBELLFORT
MAGNOLIA PARK
MAGNOLIA PARK
MAGNOLIA PARKMAGNOLIA PARK
MAGNOLIA PARK
PARK PLACE
PARK PLACE
PARK PLACE
PARK PLACE
PARK PLACE
SHARPSTOWNSHARPSTOWN SHARPS
SHARPSTOWNSHARPSTOWN
CENTRAL SOUTHWEST
CENTRAL SOUTHWEST
CENTRAL SOUTHWEST
CENTRAL SOUTHWEST
NO
RTHLIN
E
NORTHLINE
NO
RTHLIN
E
NO
RTHLIN
E
NO
RTH
LINE
NORTHLINE
Sharpstown Street Signs
ContentsIntroduction
History
ContextFigure GroundLand UseAmenities TransportationEconomic DevelopmentFlooding
DemographicsPopulation AgeRace and Ethnicity EducationIncomeHousingCrimeDivisions
OpportunitiesOpen Space NetworkComplete StreetsPlazAmericas Impact Zone
Participants and Sponsors
5
7
9
21
33
47
4
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
Sharpstown Apartments, Google image by H. Ansari, J. Lemley, C.
Murray, A. Parker, M. Rivas
Introduction
5
Super Neighborhood #26, Sharpstown, is located in southwest Houston in one of the most diverse sectors of the city. Sharpstown is bounded by the Westpark Tollway to the north, Hillcroft Avenue to the east, Bissonnet Street to the south and Beltway 8 to the west. The neighborhood is vibrant and diverse in both built form and population. The Sharpstown development, one of the largest planned communities in the United States, occupies the largest land area. The Southwest Freeway runs through the heart of the neighborhood.
Sharpstown developed in the 1950s, around American’s new found love for the automobile, yet today the area is densely populated, with over twice the population density as the Houston average. The area also has an abundance of uses, including retail, dining and shopping.
The neighborhood is defined by the contrasting characteristics of sprawl and density, single-family subdivisions and large scale multi-family developments, curving neighborhood streets and 1970s super blocks and a mix of people from many different backgrounds, economic circumstances and cultures.
The opportunities in Sharpstown focus on expanding the area’s parks and green spaces, creating alternative mobility networks, and re-using and re-purposing vacant and underutilized properties.
Location Map
1962Southwest Freeway opening
ceremony
1940Glenn McCarthy purchases
4000 acre tract of prairie land
1961Houston’s first air-
conditioned, enclosed shopping mall, Sharpstown
Center opens
1957300 foot wide right-of-way
through Sharpstown is donated for the construction of the Southwest Freeway / U.S.
Highway 59
1954Frank Sharp and Partners purchase land to create
“biggest real estate development in Houston”
1944
6
1944
1978
2015
History
1987Price of oil plummets and many young professionals leave the city. At the same time Houston
becomes a destination for immigrants from around the
world
2005Southwest Management
District created
1978As new development occurs further from
the center of the city Sharpstown and many
other neighborhoods lose middle class residents
ABOVE: Sharpstown Timeline, based on research by H. Ansari, J.Lemley, C.Murray, A.Parker, M. Rivas
2016
2010Sharpstown Mall re-
branded as PlazAmericas
7
In 1944 the land that would become Sharpstown was simply farmland and prairie. By the mid-1950s prominent developer Frank Sharp began to build Sharpstown, which would become one of the largest housing developments in the United States. Sharpstown included sites for schools, a shopping center and a golf course. In addition, Frank Sharp reserved a 300’ right-of-way for the future construction of the Southwest Freeway which was complete in 1962.
Sharpstown was intended to be an escape from urban life. The development was a model of master planned communities with middle class homes sitting along curving streets and cul-de-sacs.
In the 1960s and 1970s the area surrounding the Sharpstown development experienced a surge in the construction of multi-family apartments. In the following decades Houston continued to sprawl and new suburbs emerged beyond
Sharpstown. At this time home and rental prices in the neighborhood declined and the demographics of the both the neighborhood and the city transformed.
In the 61 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 that is currently re-emerging.
1944
1978
2015
1944
1978
2015
8
Westpark Tollway Fondren Rd
S Gessner R
d
Bellaire Blvd
Bissonnet St
Southwest F
reeway
Sam H
ouston Tollway
Hillcroft Ave
Context
9
Sharpstown is one of Houston’s largest, most densely populated and diverse Super Neighborhoods. Development began with the construction of the Sharpstown subdivision in the 1950s and filled in with high-density garden apartments to the north in the 1960s and 1970s.
There is a socio-economic and spatial division in the neighborhood that occurs along Bellaire Boulevard. Smaller scale single-family housing developments dominate the area south of Bellaire while multi-family housing and commercial and industrial uses characterize the area north of this major corridor.
Sharpstown is densely developed and has very little vacant land.
ABOVE, Right: Figure GroundBELOW, Left to Right: Park, Street Signs, Metropole Center by H. Ansari, J.Lemley, C.Murray, A.Parker, M. RivasOPPOSITE PAGE, Left: Aerial Map
10
1970 1990
75% 72%37%
24% 28%64%
2014
ABOVE, Right: Residential Land Use Multi-Family Single-FamilyBELOW, Left to Right: Area home, Housing by Type Graph for 1970, 1990 and 2014 by H. Ansari, J.Lemley, C.Murray, A.Parker, M. Rivas
The original Sharpstown development of single-family homes is concentrated south of Bellaire Boulevard. Single-family housing occupies the largest area of residential land use. Multi-family developments, which house more residents than single-family housing, occupies far less land area and is concentrated north of Bellaire Boulevard and along the western boundary of the neighborhood.
Between the 1950s and 1970s the balance of housing between single-family and multi-family flipped. In 1970 64% of all housing was detached single-family, by 1990 75% was multi-family apartments. In 2014, the majority of Sharpstown residents live in and rent apartments.
Single-Family Units
Attached, 2-4 Units
Multi-Family Units
11
ABOVE, Right: Commercial and Industrial Land Uses Commercial IndustrialBELOW, Left to Right: Chinatown on Bellaire, Harwin Shopping District, and typical strip mall
Sharpstown is a mixed-use neighborhood with substantial commercial and industrial development. Commercial development is concentrated along Bellaire Boulevard and the Southwest Freeway. This includes three distinct shopping areas, Chinatown or Little Saigon along Bellaire Boulevard in the western portion of the neighborhood; PlazAmericas (formerly Sharpstown Mall) in the center along Highway 59, and the Mahatma Ghandi District in the northeastern corner adjacent to Hillcroft Avenue. The Harwin area, just south of Westpark, has the highest concentration of industrial land uses. Yet, many of these industrial warehouses are retail shops. Chinatown or Little Saigon, the Mahatma Ghandi District and Harwin all draw shoppers from throughout the city.
12
ABOVE, Right: Vacant LandBELOW: Community garden in drainage easement
13
ABOVE, Right: Parks (1/2 mile walking radius)BELOW: Bayland Park BELOW, Right: Park Area Comparison Chart
The Sharpstown neighborhood has four parks: Crain Park, Landsdale Park, Bayland Park and Bonham Park. The neighborhood is also home to the Sharpstown Country Club, which is now a municipal golf course.
The parks (not including the golf course) total 92 acres, which is approximately 60 square feet per person. The total park area per resident in Sharpstown is far below the 109 square feet per person standards for neighborhood, community and pocket parks adopted by the Houston Parks and Recreation Department in the 2015 Master Plan. An additional 78 acres of parks are needed in the neighborhood to meet the City’s standards.
There are no public parks north of Bellaire Boulevard an area with the highest concentration of multi-family housing and people who live below poverty. There is little vacant land in the neighborhood that could be re-purposed for parks.
Southw
est F
wy
Bellaire Blvd
S G
essner Rd
Fondren Rd
Beechnut St
Bissonnet St
Westpark Tollway
Sam
Houston Tollw
ay
Sharpstown Country Club149 acres
69 acres
9 acres
6 acres
8 acres
Bayland Park (county park)
Bonham Park
Crain Park
Lansdale Park
HPARD RecommendedPark Area for Neighborhood,
Community, and Pocket Parks109 square feet/personor 2.505 acres/1,000
Park Area Needed 49 square feet/person
1.2 acres/1,000 =
78 acres
Existing Park Area 60 square feet/person
1.4 acres/1,000
14
7884
2123
7364
6378
2967
4332
1563
2165
1968
1605
4823
4090
951
3704
1622
2510
718
792
004
009
002
046
047
063
152
153
151
402
8,000
0
4,000
6,000
2,000
Wee
kday
Ave
rage
62%
23% 7%
8%80%
11% 4% 5%
Ridership by Bus Route Transportation to Work(Workers 16 Years +)
Wee
kend
Ave
rage
Shar
psto
wn
Hou
ston
Hillcroft Transit Center
Fondren
063
Gessner
046
Harwin Express
153
Westpark Express
151
Bellaire002
Bellaire Quickline
402
Beechnut
004
Harwin Express
004
Sharpstown
DroveAlone
Car-pooled
PublicTransit
Walk/Other
15
ABOVE: Transit MapOPPOSITE PAGE, Far Left: Bus Ridership Graph (METRO Ridership Report, 2015) Weekday Average Weekend AverageMap and graphs by: H. Ansari, J.Lemley, C.Murray, A.Parker, M. RivasOPPOSITE PAGE, Left: Transportation to Work, 2014
SharpstownHouston
Sharpstown residents are well connected to METRO bus services with routes roughly every mile in both the north-south and east-west direction. In addition, the Bellaire Quickline provides limited stop express service from Sharpstown to the Medical Center. Bus rapid transit should be explored for Bellaire Boulevard, one of the most densely populated corridors in the city with a high percentage of people who depend on public transportation.
In 2014 7% of workers over the age of 16 depended on public transit to get to work in Sharpstown. While this is a small percentage it is higher than the Houston average of 4%. The Bellaire (002) and Beechnut (004) routes have the second and third highest ridership in Houston, with 7,364 and 7,884 people respectively boarding the bus on an average weekday. The only route in Houston with higher ridership is the Westheimer (082).
East End Light Rail
Southeast Light Rail
Red (Main Street) Light Rail
TexasMedical Center
Downtown
16
Southw
est F
wy
S G
essner Rd
Beechnut St
Westpark Tollway
Bissonnet St
Sam
Houston Tollw
ay
Fondren Rd
Bellaire Blvd
17
ABOVE, Right: Map of Grocery Stores Asian Grocery Stores Hispanic Grocery Stores Indian Grocery Stores Middle Eastern Grocery StoresOPPOSITE PAGE, Left: Map of Major RetailersBELOW, Left to Right: Dynasty Market, Fresh Produce, Baked Goods, HMart Grocery, Teloloapan Meat Market
Sharpstown is well served by both small and large grocery stores. Major grocers include Fiesta, Welcome Food Center and HMart. There are also many smaller grocers scattered throughout the neighborhood that provide a diverse range of produce and merchandise that cater to the neighborhood’s diverse cultures, including Indian and Halal grocers.
Many shops in Sharpstown are small and locally owned. There are very few major national franchises that are typical in other neighborhoods. For example, there is not a Home Depot, Walmart, Target or Starbucks within the Sharpstown neighborhood boundaries. The map to the left highlights the location of major national franchises and big box stores in the area.
Southw
est F
wy
S G
essner Rd
Beechnut St
Westpark Tollway
Bissonnet St
Sam
Houston Tollw
ay
Fondren Rd
Bellaire Blvd
18
ABOVE, Right: Map of Management District and TIRZ Boundaries
Southwest Management DistrictSouthwest Houston TIRZ #20
BELOW: Southwest Management District wayfinding signage, Bellaire Boulevard
The Sharpstown Super Neighborhood is served by the Southwest Management District, a 10-square-mile area bordered by Hillcroft on the east, Beltway 8 on the west, Westpark Tollway on the north and U.S. 59 / Bissonnet on the south. In addition, the Southwest Houston TIRZ covers much of the area.
The Southwest Management District was created in 2005 to “enhance the physical, social, and economic well being of the Sharpstown community.” The District focuses on mobility and transportation planning, environmental and urban design, health and public safety, and business and economic development.
Southwest Management
District
Southwest Houston TIRZ #20
Southw
est F
reeway
S Gessner R
d
Bissonnet St
Bellaire Blvd
19
Over the last several years flooding in southwest Houston has become more severe as the area’s further west continue to develop and the city experiences record rainfall events. Just west of the Sharpstown area is Arthur Storey Park a storm detention area intended to slow the flow of water east in Brays Bayou, there are also a series of damns and reservoirs further north and west.
Recent flooding in the Meyerland neighborhood, just to the east of Sharpstown, has been significant. Sharpstown has not been greatly impacted by the most recent flood events, but roughly 25% of all properties are within the 100-year flood plain and roughly half inside the 500-year.
ABOVE, Right: Flood Plain Map 100 Year Flood Plain 500 Year Flood PlainBELOW: Brays BayouMap and Photo by: H. Ansari, J.Lemley, C.Murray, A.Parker, M. Rivas
Brays Bayou
Southwest F
reeway
S Gessner R
d
Bissonnet St
Bellaire Blvd
20
2000 2010 2014 2000 2010 2014
Total Population 77,166 69,617 77,309 1,953,631 2,099,451 2,239,558-10% 11% 7% 7%
Race/EthnicityWhite 20% 16% 12% 31% 26% 26%Black or African American 17% 16% 14% 25% 23% 23%Asian 16% 14% 15% 5% 6% 6%Other 1% 0% 2% 2% 2% 1%Hispanic or Latino 46% 54% 57% 37% 44% 44%
Age17 Years or Younger 27% 27% 28% 28% 26% 26%18 - 64 Years Old 65% 64% 64% 64% 65% 65%65 Years or Older 8% 9% 8% 8% 9% 9%
Place of BirthForeign Born Residents 49% 51% 53% 26% 29% 28%
Means of Transportation to WorkDrove Alone 64% 61% 62% 72% 75% 80%Carpooled 19% 24% 23% 16% 13% 11%Public Transportation 10% 7% 7% 6% 5% 4%Other (Walk, Bicycle, Work at Home, etc.) 7% 8% 8% 5% 7% 5%
Educational Attainment 25 Years + Less Than High School 34% 39% 41% 30% 26% 24%High School Graduate (includes equivalency) 20% 23% 23% 20% 22% 22%Some college 23% 20% 19% 23% 24% 24%Bachelor's degree 15% 13% 13% 17% 17% 18%Master's degree 5% 4% 2% 6% 7% 8%Professional school degree 2% 1% 1% 3% 2% 2%Doctorate degree 1% 1% 1% 1% 2% 2%
Median Household Income 29,496$ 31,103$ 31,349$ 36,616$ 44,124$ 45,728$ Percent of Houston's Median 81% 70% 69%
Percent of Population Below Poverty 20% 25% 30% 19% 22% 23%
Housing UnitsOccupied 94% 78% 83% 92% 88% 87%Vacant Housing Units 6% 22% 17% 8% 12% 13%
TenurePercent Owners 27% 29% 28% 46% 45% 45%Percent Renters 73% 71% 72% 54% 55% 55%
Households without access to a vehicle 14% 16% 16% 12% 10% 10%
Persons per Household 2.8 2.8 3.0 2.7 2.7 2.7
*Sources: Census 2000, Census 2010, ACS 2014
Sharpstown Houston
77,166 69,617
29,540 31,393
2000 2010 2014
1,7036% Vacant
6,80922% Vacant
5,08817% Vacant
77,309
30,695
units were vacant; by 2010 22% were unoccupied. By 2014 housing vacancy had declined to 17% and the population rebounded. And while housing vacancy rates remain high the number of people per household has risen since 2000 from 2.8 to 3.
The number of total housing units, both occupied and vacant, changed very little over this same time period,
increasing just 4% from 29,540 in 2000 units to 30,695 in 2014.
Sharpstown has a higher percentage of people between the ages of 35 and 64 years than any other age group.
Demographics
21
The 2014 population in the Sharpstown Super Neighborhood is 77,309; this is a slight increase in the number of residents from the 2000 Census. Between 2000 and 2010 the population declined 10%, dropping to 69,617 residents. The dip in the population in this time period can be attributed to rising vacancies in area housing. For example, in 2000 only 6% of area housing
ABOVE: Change in Population, Housing Units, and Housing Vacancy, 2000 - 2014BELOW, Right: Houston and Sharpstown Population Distribution by Age, 2014BELOW: Temple
Sharpstown
Houston
28%
26%
30%
43%
34%
23%
8%
9%
Under 18 yrsAge group 18-34 yrs 35-64 yrs 65+ yrs
22
ABOVE: Sharpstown Districts Map, based on Southwest Management District Map and map by H. Ansari, J.Lemley, C.Murray, A.Parker, M. Rivas
UNIVERSITYSHARPSTOWN
HARWIN
CHINATOWN
MAHATMAGHANDI
DISTRICT
WESTWOOD
23
Over the last forty years the Sharpstown neighborhood has become increasingly diverse. In 1970 the neighborhood was predominantly White, this began to change in the 1980s, and based on the 2014 census data Hispanics or Latinos are the majority at 57%. The remaining population is 15% Asian, 14% Black or African American and 12% White. Over half of Sharpstown’s population were born outside of the United States, which is nearly twice as high as Houston overall.
The population diversity of the neighborhood is reflected in the area’s distinct districts (see map to the left), shopping, food and the built landscape. Signs in many different languages, small ethnic grocers, and a variety of shops cater to and reflect the many different cultures in the community.
1970 1980 1990 2000 2014
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
AFRICA 7%EpyptEthiopiaKenyaLiberiaNigeria
MIDDLE EAST2%Iraq
SOUTH CENTRAL ASIA 4%AfghanistanBangladeshIndiaIranPakistan
ABOVE, Right: Sharpstown Change in Race/Ethnicity, 1970-2014BELOW, Right: Map of Origin for Foreign Born ResidentsChart and Map by H. Ansari, J.Lemley, C.Murray, A.Parker, M. Rivas
LATIN AMERICA 60%MexicoEl SalvadorGuatemalaHondurasCuba
EAST ASIA17%ChinaVietnamThailand
White
Hispanic/Latino
Black/African American
Asian
24
ABOVE: Children at Risk Elementary School Grades, 2015; and Median HH Income, 2014
LEFT: Educational Attainment, 2014BELOW: Children at Risk Elementary School
Rankings 2015 BELOW, Left: Sugar Grove Academy
Sharpstown 2014
41%Less than High
School
4%Graduate or
Higher
23%High School
Graduate
13%Bachelor’s
Degree
19%Some College
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Gre
ater
Hou
ston
Ran
king
BAKER R ELGrade C+
BONHAM ELGrade F
BUSH ELGrade D-
COLLINS ELGrade C-
NEFF ELGrade A
SUTTON ELGrade A+
WHITE ELGrade A
900
Houston 2014
24%Less than High
School
22%High School
Graduate
18%Bachelor’sor Higher
24%Some College
12%Graduate or
Higher
Baker ESC+
CollinsESC-
BushESD- Neff
ESAWhite
ESA
SuttonESA+
BonhamESF
$20,648 $31,122
$22,209
$34,297
$35,447
$26,282
$24,543
$47,917$34,450
$40,607
$27,821
$24,805
$35,638$42,418
$48,879
$32,596
25
ABOVE, Right: Map of Sharpstown SchoolsBELOW, Left to Right: Sharpstown High School, KIPP Connect Primary
There are eleven public schools and eight private or charter schools located in the Sharpstown Super Neighborhood. Nine public schools are in the Houston Independent School District (HISD) and two in the Alief Independent School District (AISD). The percent of students attending school in Sharpstown who are identified as at-risk and economically disadvantaged is much higher than the HISD average. For example at Sharpstown High School 90% of students are considered at-risk and 94% economically disadvantaged, compared to 62% and 74% respectively in HISD overall. Children at Risk’s 2015 rankings for the elementary schools in the neighborhood range widely from an A+ to an F.
41% of Sharpstown residents over the age of 25 do not have a high school diploma, compared to 24% in Houston overall.
Southw
est F
wy
S G
essner Rd
Beechnut St
Westpark Tollway
Bellaire Blvd
Bissonnet St
Sam
Houston Tollw
ay Fondren Rd
White ESSt. Agnes Academy HS Strake Jesuit College Prep
Liberty High SchoolBaker ESYES Prep Gulfton HSKIPP Connect PrimarySharpstown International HS Neff ES St. Francis de Sales
Bonham ESSharpstown HSSugar Grove Academy MSBeechnut Academy MSSutton ESJane Long Academy MS
Collins ESBush ES
YES Prep West HS
26
47% 23%
45%
31%
23%47% 50%
9% 39%
30%
23%
44% 16% 19% 11%
22%
ABOVE, Right: Percent of Families Below Poverty, 2014
0 - 20% Below Poverty20 - 40% Below Poverty> 40% Below Poverty
BELOW, Left to Right: Westwood area apartments
27
ABOVE, Right: Median Household Income by Census Tract, 2014BELOW, Right: Median Household Income 2000-2014BELOW: Sharpstown Apartments
The median household income in 2014 for the census tracts that comprise the Sharpstown Super Neighborhood was $31,349; this is 69% of the Houston median of $45,728.
Median income diverges substantially across the neighborhood ranging from approximately $20,000 to almost $50,000. The tracts south of Bellaire, which is the area that comprises the original Sharpstown subdivisions of single-family homes, have the highest incomes; while lower income households are concentrated north of Bellaire where the majority of the area’s multi-family housing is located. Poverty rates follow a similar pattern and range from 50% of families to less than 9%.
Median household income is stagnant in Sharpstown, increasing only 5% between 2000 and 2010 and only 1% between 2010 and 2014.
$50,000
$45,000
$40,000
$35,000
$30,000
$25,000
$20,000
$02000 2010 2014
+ 1%+ 5%
+ 21% + 4%
Houston Median HH Income
Sharpstown Median HH Income
$20,648 $31,122
$22,209
$34,297
$35,447$26,282 $24,543
$47,917 $34,450
$40,607
$27,821
$24,805
$35,638
$42,418
$48,879
$32,596
28
ABOVE, Right: Sharpstown Housing Costs > 30% of Income by Census Tract, 2014 50% or higher
40 - 49%30 - 39%20 - 29%
BELOW: Sharpstown area multi-family housing
55% 42% 44%
32%
53% 29% 28% 26% 31% 37%
36%33%
46% 43% 49% 53%
In 2014 45% of all households in Sharpstown spent more than 30% of their income for housing, the number soars to 52% for renters and declines to 28% for owners. In Houston overall 43% of all households spent more than 30% of their income for housing in 2014.
Housing costs across the city of Houston are increasing and many families are feeling the burden.
29
ABOVE, Right: Percent Homeowners, 20140 - 24%25 - 49%50 - 74%75 - 100%
BELOW, Right: Sharpstown Change in Owner/Renter Tenure, 1970-2014BELOW: Sharpstown home, chart and photo by H. Ansari, J. Lemley, C. Murray, A. Parker, M. Rivas
1% 21%
10%
26%
13%17%
81% 51%
9%
36%
2%
7% 45% 53% 76%
27%
1970 1990 2014
60%
40%
25%
75%
28%
72%
OWNER
RENTER
The Sharpstown Super Neighborhood has a very low home ownership rate at 28%, in Houston overall it is 45%. Rates of home ownership are lowest in areas with high concentrations of multi-family housing, such as north of Bellaire Boulevard. In contrast, in the Sharpstown subdivision rates of home ownership soar to as high as 81%.
More than half of all housing in the Sharpstown Super Neighborhood was constructed between 1970-1979, an era with very favorable terms for the construction of multi-family housing. With the completion of multi-family housing in the 1970s the area’s home ownership rates plummeted from 60% in 1970 to only 25% by 1990. Since 1990 rates of home ownership have increased slightly to 28%.
30
ABOVE: Crime Map based on Trulia and developed by H. Ansari, J. Lemley, C. Murray, A. Parker, M. Rivas High
LowBELOW: Garden in drainage easement
31
4,680
4330.01 4329.01 4328.01
42134330.03 4330.02 4328.02
4331
3,153
4329.02
433144%
4332.01 4332.02 4333
4334
4228
4227.02 4227.01
Population Density Median HH Income Housing Units
39,125 38,184
Population
10,032 7,622 3,616 $26,014 $39,269 $45,728 16,342 14,353
Under 18 Years Over 65 Years % Poverty % Homeowners
30% 26% 26% 5% 12% 9% 39% 21% 23% 11% 46% 45%
Bellaire Boulevard
Bellaire Boulevard
Sharpstown is a community divided and Bellaire Boulevard is the primary boundary that delineates multi-family areas to the north from the single-family subdivisions to the south. Based on 2014 ACS data population density north of Bellaire is 24% higher than in the areas to the south, poverty is 46% higher and homeownership is 76% lower. The chart at the bottom of this page highlights key demographics for the census tracts north and south of Bellaire (see maps to the right) and compared to Houston (where relevant).
Crime is fairly high in the Sharpstown Super Neighborhood. The areas with the highest crime are north of Bellaire where the majority of multi-family housing is located, and where both density and poverty are at the highest.
North of B
ellaire
South of B
ellaire
Houston
RIGHT: Census Tract Maps for areas north and south of Bellaire BoulevardBELOW: ACS 2014 Data for north and south study area, compared to Houston
North of BellaireSouth of BellaireHouston
32
Southw
est F
wy
S G
essner Rd
Westpark Tollway
Bellaire Blvd
Fondren Rd
33
Opportunities
LEFT: Opportunity Map RIGHT: Opportunity SketchesMap and sketches by H. Ansari, J. Lemley, C. Murray, A. Parker, M. Rivas
Sharpstown has a diverse, varied and experientially rich landscape. The neighborhood hosts a broad range of housing choices and diverse shopping and dining experiences. Yet, this dense and culturally diverse neighborhood is missing the open spaces and public networks that could provide the glue to bind the neighborhood together.
Opportunities include exploring potential programming and design interventions for the drainage and utility easements that weave through the neighborhood. The goal would be to create alternative pedestrian routes in both the north-south and east-west directions to create a network of green spaces that enhance the pedestrian experience and connect key amenities such as schools. Developing a shared green space plan among neighborhood institutions would also support this opportunity.
In addition, connectivity and mobility could be facilitated by re-thinking transit and street design strategies along Bellaire Boulevard and Hillcroft Avenue. Finally, exploring design ideas to transform PlazAmericas, the former Sharpstown Mall, into a new central park or square could create a place for people to come together.
The opportunities identified seek to increase public green spaces, link existing amenities, re-purpose under-utilized spaces and design new ways to bridge physical and symbolic boundaries.
Drainage Easements
Utility Easements
Transit and Streetscaping
Underutilized Sites
New Greenways?
Hike and Bike Trails?
CompleteStreets?
New Parks and Open Spaces, Plazas or Squares?
34
Westpark Tollway
North/S
outh Utility E
asement 2.7 m
iles
East/West Utility Easement 2.8 miles
Hillcroft Avenue
Bellaire Boulevard
Hillcroft Transit Center
GessnerPark and Ride
Arthur StoreyPark
Brays Bayou
PlazAmericasHospitals/University
Parks/Schools
Keegans BayouTrails
35
OPEN SPACE NETWORKS Two major high voltage utility easements cross through Sharpstown traveling east and west and north and south. Combined these easements travel a distance of 5.5 miles within Sharpstown and could become alternative hike and bike trails to create greater connectivity across the neighborhood and beyond.
The east-west easement runs just south of the Westpark Tollway from Hillcroft west to Gessner, where it crosses to the northern side of the Westpark Tollway. Once crossing north the easement continues west to connect to Brays Bayou outside of Beltway 8 where it turn south to connect to Hong Kong City Mall on Bellaire Boulevard. Inside the Sharpstown neighborhood the easement connects the Hillcroft Transit Center, shopping along Harwin, YES Prep West High School and links to the north-south easement near S. Gessner. The east-west easement also continues east from the Hillcroft Transit Center to Loop 610.
The north-south easement runs from Westpark south to Brays Bayou and the greenway trails that run east-west along the Bayou. The easement continues south from Brays Bayou connecting to the Keegans Bayou Trail before turning back east.
ABOVE, Right: Easement DiagramRIGHT: Easement Sketches OPPOSITE PAGE, Top Left: Utility Easement Opportunity Map OPPOSITE PAGE, Left: Photos of easementsSketches and Map by H. Ansari, J.Lemley, C.Murray, A.Parker, M. Rivas
36
Brays Bayou
1.0 miles
2.2 miles
1.8 miles
2.3 miles
Westpark Tollway
Hillcroft Avenue
Bellaire Boulevard
37
OPEN SPACE NETWORKS Houston has approximately 2,500 miles of bayous, creeks and drainage easements. Half of the mileage is natural and half man-made. Many of the waterways were lined with concrete as a means to enhance the flow of water. It is only recently that this strategy has been questioned and a new natural approach is being adopted.
The Sharpstown neighborhood has over seven miles of bayous and drainage easements. These easements could provide vital north-south links in an alternative pedestrian network weaving throughout Sharpstown.
The system of bayous and drainage easements is an opportunity to generate greater community connectivity and link destinations in the neighborhood. In addition, softening the edges of concrete-lined ditches could create more green space and enhance water absorption.
ABOVE, Right: Map of WaterwaysRIGHT: Drainage SketchesOPPOSITE PAGE, Top Left: Drainage Easement Opportunity MapOPPOSITE PAGE, Left: Ditch photos Map, sketches and photographs by H. Ansari, J.Lemley, C.Murray, A.Parker, M. Rivas
Sharpstown Super Neighborhood
38
STRATEGIES | Optimizing Transit
Hillcroft Avenue
Bellaire Boulevard
39
COMPLETE STREETSBellaire is an important corridor connecting east to west from the Texas Medical Center to Highway 6, and passing through the Sharpstown Super Neighborhood. Hillcroft Avenue is one of the primary north to south streets in the area.
One of the major challenges in this section of Houston is that there are few safe places for pedestrians to cross the street. The
ABOVE, Left: Distance between Street Lights, Bellaire and HillcroftABOVE, Right: Pedestrian Deaths 2008-2012, from www.governing.comOPPOSITE PAGE: Complete Streets Opportunity Map by H. Ansari, J.Lemley, C.Murray, A.Parker, M. Rivas
average distance between signaled crosswalks is one-half mile, a distance that can encourage people to risk an unsafe crossing.
In fact, between 2008 and 2012 there were 13 pedestrian deaths near the intersection of Bellaire and Hillcroft. And while Sharpstown’s population makes up only 1% of the total Houston MSA population, it accounts for 3% of the 499 pedestrian deaths in the region.
ABOVE: Bellaire Street Section BELOW: Hillcroft Street Section
Governing found that in the Houston MSA Census tracts with poverty rates over 25% had a pedestrian fatality rate of 14 deaths per 100,000 people, while areas with less than 15% poverty had a fatality rate of 6 deaths per 100,000.
Taming traffic, introducing new transit opportunities and continuing to improve pedestrian infrastructure could all increase safety and walkability in the area.
.5 mi.4 mi .5 mi .7 mi
.4 mi
.4 miR
anch
este
r Dr
Ges
sner
Dr
Cor
pora
te D
r
Har
bor T
own
Dr
Fond
ren
Dr
High Star Dr
Gulfton St
Bissonnet St
Bellaire Blvd
40
PlazAmericasRetail
Retail
Retail
St Paul Presbyterian Church
YES Prep Public School
Arena Theatre
Fondren Rd
Bellaire Blvd
Clarewood Dr
Southwest F
wy
41
PLAZAMERICASIn 2010 the original Sharpstown Mall was re-branded as PlazAmericas and transformed into a hybrid mall and mercado. Small vendors and shops fill the spaces once occupied by national brands. While the transformation had the potential to succeed, given the entrepreneurial spirit of the neighborhood, markets thrive in areas with high visibility and heavy pedestrian traffic. As a result, much of the space inside PlazAmericas is vacant and the expansive parking lot nearly empty.
Identifying design strategies for both the programmed spaces inside the mall and the remaining site is an opportunity to provide new amenities and open spaces in the center of a dense and thriving neighborhood.
For example, the approximately 77-acre site of PlazAmericas, if cleared and transformed into a park, would be enough land area to meet the neighborhood’s park deficit of 78-acres. Or a more hybrid approach could be adopted. For example, one-half of the existing 52-acre parking area could contain 21 soccer fields or two parks the size of Discovery Green downtown. Other programmatic interventions could also be explored to enhance pedestrian connections, particularly as a means to connect the surrounding context to the site.
LEFT: Map of PlazAmericasRIGHT, Top to Bottom: Diagram of Parking and Potential New Uses; Conceptual Sketch Diagram and sketches by H. Ansari, J.Lemley, C.Murray, A.Parker, M. Rivas
21SOCCER FIELDS
37SKATE PARKS
2DISCOVERY GREENS
21SOCCER FIELDS
37SKATE PARKS
2DISCOVERY GREENS
21SOCCER FIELDS
37SKATE PARKS
2DISCOVERY GREENS
+/- 26 ACRES
42
Bellaire Blvd
Southw
est F
reeway
Clarewood Dr
43
PLAZAMERICASIn 2010 Sharpstown Mall underwent a $10 million renovation to become PlazAmericas. The space contains just under 640,000 square feet of retail. Today, there are approximately 100 stores operating in PlazAmericas. The major tenants are Burlington Coat Factory, Melrose, and a number of footwear chains as well as the 83,000 square foot Mercado. Approximately half of the leasable space is currently vacant. Identifying design strategies to turn the mall inside out could draw more shoppers and visitors to the site. This could include strategies to extend entry ways out to connect to the existing context and providing new amenities such as green spaces, sports fields, shade structures and other elements.
RIGHT: PlazAmericas Floor Plans and Current Vacancy
Vacant SpaceBELOW: PlazAmericas MercadoOPPOSITE PAGE, Top: PlazAmericas DiagramOPPOSITE PAGE, Bottom: PlazAmericas
First Floor
Second Floor
44
Southwest F
wy
Bellaire Blvd
Hillcroft Ave
Jane LongAcademy
BaylandPark
Sutton ES
KIPPConnect
YES Prep
Baker ES
PlazAmericas
Drai
nage
Eas
emen
t
CONNECTCampus
45
IMPACT ZONECONNECT community campus is being created to serve as a hub for community-based partner activities and programs in the Sharpstown and Gulfton communities. When complete the 15-acre campus will include a new community center, school, soccer field and other amenities. The CONNECT partnership has identified an “Impact Zone” for their activities, which is a one-mile radius surrounding the campus (see map to the left).
Within the boundaries of the Impact Zone are a community center, library, post office, park, two grocery stores, five pharmacies, five schools and eleven places of worship.
A number of opportunities exist within the Impact Zone, and include exploring methods to create shared use agreements for area parks and green spaces, identifying underutilized sites and properties including parking lots and vacant buildings for re-use, and generating safe pedestrian connections between the institutions and organizations that serve the area. Finally, strategies to enhance the environment and landscape of area apartment complexes, including play spaces, gardens or other design interventions, could improve the quality of life for residents in the zone.
RIGHT, Top to Bottom: Diagram of Schools and Parks; Diagram of Opportunity Sites; Diagram of Area Transit and NetworksOPPOSITE PAGE, Left: Aerial of Impact Zone
Schools and Parks
Opportunity Sites
Transit
46
47
Participants and SponsorsParticipantsCommunity Design WorkshopUniversity of Houston College of ArchitectureStudent Team, Spring 2016Homa Ansari Jeff Lemley Cara MurrayAndrew ParkerMonica Rivas*This document includes research prepared by students in Spring 2016
Community Design Resource CenterSusan Rogers, DirectorAdelle Main, Senior Research AssistantBarbara Blanco Gonzalez, Research AssistantMinelya De Leon, Research Assistant Tran Le, Research Assistant
Honored Guests and CriticsBrian BurksAlice Lee Joseph PermettiAnnie Trinh Anne Whitlock Andrea GonzalezAlex Lahti Eric LeshinskyRafael LongoriaSana Rehman
SponsorsThe Collaborative Community Design Initiative is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Architecture Center Houston Foundation. The initiative would not be possible without the generous commitment of time from stakeholders and professionals across Houston. We would like to thank all of our partners and supporters.
F O U N D A T I O NF O U N D A T I O N
