LITERATURE + LECTURES

Houston Tomorrow, Air Alliance Houston, and Citizens' Transportation Coalition present My Houston 2040, a Happy Hour meeting of the minds. One Thursday per month at Rudyard's Upstairs, 2010 Waugh Drive.  Free and open to the public. Food and drinks available at bar.

Houston Tomorrow, Air Alliance Houston, & Citizens' Transportation Coalition agree that Houstonians can build a better Houston today by thinking about the Houston we may inherit in 2040 and the Houston we want in 2040. Each happy hour will include time for networking and socializing, a topical speaker who will give an informational presentation on Houston urbanism, transportation planning, culture, environment, and more, and a visionary speaker who will give their “My Houston 2040” talk: what they think Houston will be like in 2040, what they want it to be like in 2040, and / or what they want us to do to make it like they want it to be in 2040.

Speakers:

Zakcq Lockrem (pictured)
Citizens' Tranportation Coalition

John Jacob
Texas Sea Grant

The City of Houston parking ordinance proposals and your future quality of life
Zakcq Lockrem
Planner, Asakura Robinson | Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning and Design
Board Member, Citizens' Transportation Coalition

Rather than a transportation planner, Zakcq Lockrem considers himself a street planner who is focused on the experiences of pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users and the role of street networks as public space. He has broad project experience from the Gulf Coast, New England, California, Mexico and West Africa working on issues from cycling to affordable housing. In addition, Zakcq brings significant experience from the non-profit sector, which he utilizes in developing cutting edge public participation strategies to build the capacity of the public to engage meaningfully in the planning processes.

Zakcq works as an urban planner and designer for Asakura Robinson in Houston's Sixth Ward, serves on the board of the Citizens' Transportation Coalition, is an adjunct instructor of urban planning at Texas Southern University, and is a co-founder of Social Agency Lab, an urban ideas collaborative of planners and designers from around North America who engage in public art and creative urban interventions. Recent publications include a contribution to the Institute for Urban Design's "Atlas of Possibility for the Future of New York" and a forthcoming article in The Journal of Green Building.

My Houston 2040
John Jacob
Coastal Community Development Specialist, Texas Sea Grant

Dr. John Jacob is the director of the Texas Coastal Watershed Program, and holds a joint appointment with the Texas A&M Sea Grant Program and with Texas AgriLife Extension Service through the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Science. His current project, Coastal CHARM (Community Health and Resource Management), focuses on enabling coastal communities in Texas to improve quality of life in cities and towns while preserving and enhancing the natural coastal environment.

Jacob holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Texas Tech University, and a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, all in soils and natural resources. He is registered as a Professional Geoscientist with the State of Texas and is a Professional Wetland Scientist. Jacob is a recognized expert on Texas wetlands, having been active in consulting and research aspects of wetlands for more than 20 years. Jacob is coauthor of Texas Sea Grant Resilient Coast series on the built environment and wetlands.

The Texas Coastal Watershed Program provides education and outreach to local governments and citizens about the impact of land use on watershed health and water quality. The TCWP currently has 7 staff members with programs in sustainable urban planning, watershed management, habitat restoration, sustainable landscapes, and water quality issues.