Technical Assistance Panel

The South Main Alliance partnered with Urban Land Institute to challenge panelists to consider transformative placemaking options for three strategically located intersections in the South Main corridor:

● Main Street/and Fannin where they intersect Holcombe Blvd
● Main Street where it crosses Brays Bayou
● Main Street where it merges with Old Spanish Trail to become 90A

Each of these intersections affords an opportunity to be an important moment on Main Street, which is Houston’s signature boulevard. Each of these intersections is currently a confused and confusing crossroads with no defining character. Each has its own unique set of elements in terms of adjacent land use, transportation and drainage infrastructure, travel patterns and activities, and populations that live, work and travel in the environs.

The South Main Alliance is Houston’s first area association, formed in 1976, to protect and enhance the area in which many of the institutions that make Houston Houston are located. This work is made possible through sustaining support from the John P. McGovern Foundation.

Briefing Book

This document is a compilation of all relevant data provided by the South Main Alliance to the panelists prior to the beginning of the TAP. The information provided includes descriptions and photos of the intersections, demographic data, governmental jurisdictions, pertinent geographic features and summaries of the major organizations who have interests in one or more of the nodes. Click the image below to view and download the complete document.

Virtual Tour

This video tour was created to provide the panelists, especially those from outside the Houston area, with a sense of the 3 intersections and their current configurations and surrounding areas. TAP panelists would normally visit the area that is the subject of the TAP in person, but all activities for this TAP were conducted virtually, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The Panelists

The panel assembled by ULI for this TAP combines Houston-area professionals with representatives from outside the Houston metro area, including two members from outside the state of Texas. These panelists will take the information provided in the Briefing Book and Virtual Tour, combined with interviews conducted with stakeholders in and around each intersection, and produce both a public presentation and a final report of their findings and recommendations for each intersection, speaking to the goals expressed by the South Main Alliance at the beginning of the process.