45
As populations increase, there is a current practice to spend more on highways for transportation
efficiency. However, autos emit large CO levels
and ozone precursors (VOCs and NOx) during
fuel combustion, and there is also evaporation
during operation and resting (EPA 2001; TRB
1995). Since there is a direct link between land
use and transportation and vehicle exhaust produces precursors for ozone, therefore local land
use plans should reduce transportation dependence to support efforts to lower ozone levels
(SGN 2002). The challenge for municipalities is
reducing air pollution and unhealthy days while
reducing traffic congestion concurrently.
Housing affordability is measured here as the
median property value divided by the median
household income in the metro area. The best
performing metro in the country was the McAllen,
Texas metro, which scored 2.3 on this measure.
The Houston metro scored 2.6 which was better
than the national average of 3.6. The 2030 SDG
target is set at 2.4, which means Houston is relatively close to meeting this goal. Houston ranks
13th in the country on this indicator.
The percentage of the population living in
overcrowded housing was 5% in the Houston
metro, which was higher than the national average of 3.1. Akron, Ohio was the best performing
metro with only 0.7% of the population living in
overcrowded housing. Houston ranks 86th in the
country on this indicator.
The percentage of workers using sustainable
transportation to get to work (transit, bicycles,
walking) was 4% in the Houston metro. The best
performing metro in the country was the
New York metro area, with 37.6% of workers
using sustainable transportation to get to work.
The 2030 target is 22.7% of the population using
sustainable transportation. Houston ranks 58th in
the country on this indicator.
The sprawl index is a composite of measures
including residential and employment density;
neighborhood mix of homes, jobs, and services;
strength of activity centers and downtowns; and
accessibility of the street network. The range
among US metros was from the lowest performing Jackson, Mississippi metro with a 1.4 score
on the index to the highest performer New York
metro with a 37.6 score on the index. The average
among US metros was 6 and Houston is behind
the average with a score of only 4 on the sprawl
index. Houston ranks 58th in the country on this
indicator.
Parks access is measured by the percentage of
people living within 15 min from a public park.
The average in the country among US metros was
41.8%. The top performing metro was San
Francisco, with 81.5% of the population living
within 15 min to a public park. In the Houston
metro, 26% of the population live within 15 min
to a public park. The 2030 target is to have 76.5%
of the population living within 15 min to a public
park. Houston ranks 79th in the country on this
indicator.
The particulate matter (2.5) concentration in
the Houston metro was averaged at 11.7 in 2015.
The range in the USA was from the best performing metro Palm Bay, Florida, with a PM2.5 concentration of 6.5, to the worst performing metro
Riverside, California, with a PM2.5 concentration of 14.8. The 2030 target for this indicator is
to reduce PM2.5 concentrations to 6.3 μg/m
3
.
Houston ranks 85th in the country on this
indicator.
The ozone level reported for the Houston
metro was 0.077 ppm in 2016. Houston is slightly
higher than the national average of 0.071 ppm.
The best performing metro was Urban Honolulu,
which had a reading of 0.048 ppm. The 2030 goal
is to reduce ozone concentrations to 0.05 ppm,
which is a standard recommended by the World
Health Organization (WHO). Houston ranks 84th
in the country on this indicator.
4 The Idea of Sustainability to Evaluate Growth and Development in the Houston Region
As populations increase, there is a current practice to spend more on highways for transportation
efficiency. However, autos emit large CO levels
and ozone precursors (VOCs and NOx) during
fuel combustion, and there is also evaporation
during operation and resting (EPA 2001; TRB
1995). Since there is a direct link between land
use and transportation and vehicle exhaust produces precursors for ozone, therefore local land
use plans should reduce transportation dependence to support efforts to lower ozone levels
(SGN 2002). The challenge for municipalities is
reducing air pollution and unhealthy days while
reducing traffic congestion concurrently.
Housing affordability is measured here as the
median property value divided by the median
household income in the metro area. The best
performing metro in the country was the McAllen,
Texas metro, which scored 2.3 on this measure.
The Houston metro scored 2.6 which was better
than the national average of 3.6. The 2030 SDG
target is set at 2.4, which means Houston is relatively close to meeting this goal. Houston ranks
13th in the country on this indicator.
The percentage of the population living in
overcrowded housing was 5% in the Houston
metro, which was higher than the national average of 3.1. Akron, Ohio was the best performing
metro with only 0.7% of the population living in
overcrowded housing. Houston ranks 86th in the
country on this indicator.
The percentage of workers using sustainable
transportation to get to work (transit, bicycles,
walking) was 4% in the Houston metro. The best
performing metro in the country was the
New York metro area, with 37.6% of workers
using sustainable transportation to get to work.
The 2030 target is 22.7% of the population using
sustainable transportation. Houston ranks 58th in
the country on this indicator.
The sprawl index is a composite of measures
including residential and employment density;
neighborhood mix of homes, jobs, and services;
strength of activity centers and downtowns; and
accessibility of the street network. The range
among US metros was from the lowest performing Jackson, Mississippi metro with a 1.4 score
on the index to the highest performer New York
metro with a 37.6 score on the index. The average
among US metros was 6 and Houston is behind
the average with a score of only 4 on the sprawl
index. Houston ranks 58th in the country on this
indicator.
Parks access is measured by the percentage of
people living within 15 min from a public park.
The average in the country among US metros was
41.8%. The top performing metro was San
Francisco, with 81.5% of the population living
within 15 min to a public park. In the Houston
metro, 26% of the population live within 15 min
to a public park. The 2030 target is to have 76.5%
of the population living within 15 min to a public
park. Houston ranks 79th in the country on this
indicator.
The particulate matter (2.5) concentration in
the Houston metro was averaged at 11.7 in 2015.
The range in the USA was from the best performing metro Palm Bay, Florida, with a PM2.5 concentration of 6.5, to the worst performing metro
Riverside, California, with a PM2.5 concentration of 14.8. The 2030 target for this indicator is
to reduce PM2.5 concentrations to 6.3 μg/m
3
.
Houston ranks 85th in the country on this
indicator.
The ozone level reported for the Houston
metro was 0.077 ppm in 2016. Houston is slightly
higher than the national average of 0.071 ppm.
The best performing metro was Urban Honolulu,
which had a reading of 0.048 ppm. The 2030 goal
is to reduce ozone concentrations to 0.05 ppm,
which is a standard recommended by the World
Health Organization (WHO). Houston ranks 84th
in the country on this indicator.
4 The Idea of Sustainability to Evaluate Growth and Development in the Houston Region