Today Swamplot is brought to you by the Downtown District and Plan Downtown, a new effort to . . . well, just read on and you’ll learn. Thanks for the support!

What’s next Downtown? Once an underutilized, work-driven district that had seen its better days, Downtown has again become a thriving core of the Bayou City and the region. It’s buzzing with development of all kinds — new hotels, restaurant rows, luxury residential projects, and convenient public transportation options. But the city center didn’t get to where it is today by happenstance.

“Thirteen years have gone by since Downtown’s last comprehensive plan, and we’ve made tremendous progress since then,” says Bob Eury, Executive Director of the Houston Downtown Management District (aka the Downtown District). “Now it’s time for us to take a fresh look at what lies ahead and prepare for the future. Can Houston adapt to driverless cars, a sharing economy, collaborative work environments, and work-life integration? How can we better prepare Downtown Houston for the next few decades?”

With that in mind, the Downtown District has launched Plan Downtown, a 20-year vision plan that will outline recommendations for short-, middle-, and long-range planning, development, and design within and around Downtown. Downtown has established itself as a destination for working, living, and recreation, but Plan Downtown will recommend ways for it to continue to be a relevant and welcoming gathering place for all Houstonians.

Throughout the spring and early summer, the Plan Downtown project team will lead a series of leadership group meetings, planning stakeholder workshops, topical small-group discussions, and public workshops. In addition, the public will be invited to participate in planning efforts by website and text-based visioning exercises.

Mark your calendars for the first public meetings — they’re scheduled for April 12. You can find the time and location on the Plan Downtown website, at plandowntownhou.com.

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