Plan

Resilient Houston

Summary

Resilient Houston provides a framework for collective action for every Houstonian; our diverse neighborhoods and watersheds; City departments; and local, regional, and global partners. The strategy links existing efforts with new ones that will collectively work to protect Houston against future disasters—from hurricanes to extreme heat waves—and chronic stresses such as aging infrastructure, poor air quality, and flooding. Resilient Houston was developed in partnership with hundreds of diverse stakeholders who determined goals and targets over the past year. It provides detailed actions and a framework for achieving them.

While Resilient Houston is a City of Houston plan, its scope far exceeds what can be achieved by the city government alone. Every Houstonian has a role to play in building resilience. Only by leveraging present and future partnerships at the individual, neighborhood, bayou, city, and regional scale will we be successful. The City will lead by example and hold itself and its partners accountable by measuring progress toward the goals and targets during and beyond Mayor Sylvester Turner’s second term in office.

Year

2024

Details

Hazards Addressed

Flooding – Rainfall-induced

Assets

Economy

Multiple or All Assets

Natural Areas and Wildlife

Property

Transportation and Mobility

View the Plan

Equity Insights

When we talk about equity and inclusion throughout Resilient Houston, we want to be clear about not projecting a victimhood label on any Houstonian or neighborhood. The diversity of Houstonians and our communities is a source of pride for our city and contributes to our celebrated cultures and traditions. An individual’s ZIP code, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical abilities or attributes, religious or ethical values system, national origin, linguistic ability, or immigrant status should not limit their choices, opportunity, and freedom in our city. However, there are disparities in health, wealth, access, and privilege that impact Houstonians and challenge our collective resilience. While every Houstonian is needed to build a more resilient Houston, the actions we take to make Houston safer and stronger will need to prioritize identifying and addressing barriers to equity and inclusion for all.

Lessons Learned

While the future is uncertain, we can expect that Houston will only face increasing challenges over the next 30 years. But we can create opportunity for all Houstonians in how we tackle these challenges—at the individual, neighborhood, bayou, city, and regional scale. The steps we take today can begin to shape the future for the next generation of Houstonians.