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Buffalo Bayou is one of Houston’s richest natural resource and a dynamic hub for recreational activities for residents and visitors alike. Keeping this community gem clean from debris and accessible to all is no small feat. Robby Robinson, head of Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s Clean & Green Program, our November Scenic Citizen, is the unsung hero charged with leading this comprehensive maintenance and management program that utilizes hundreds of community service workers to collect and remove trash and debris from the Bayou and its tributaries—preventing it from flowing into Port Houston and on to Galveston Bay.

Five days a week, eight hours a day, the Clean & Green team directs and works alongside land-based crews of community service workers to remove mounds of litter plaguing Buffalo Bayou’s 52-mile stretch. Floating garbage like basketballs, shopping carts, and construction materials are pulled from the water. The biggest cleaning headache? A constant stream of discarded plastic bags.

Heavy rain and big floods exacerbate the problem. Highwater events make it easy for plastic bags to become tangled up to 20-feet high in the bayou’s trees. When the water recedes, the bags are left painfully twisted in branches at unreachable heights. “The plastic bags are an absolute pain to get loose,” Robby says, so the team has specially made tools to tear the bags away. In any given month, the Clean & Green team collects approximately 90 cubic yards of plastic bags – that’s equivalent to more than 7 full commercial garbage trucks.

The floating waste is an eyesore that degrades the water quality and natural beauty of our complex and dynamic bayou system. As Scenic Houston enhances the visual character of Houston’s public spaces, the Clean & Green Program pays special attention our intricate watersheds. Together, both organizations are making Houston a better place to live, work, and visit. Robby envisions a day the Clean & Green Program runs out of trash to pick up, but until then, “there’s always something to do,” he says.

E-mail us if you know a Scenic Citizen in your area.

For more than a decade, Amy Reed followed a passion-filled path to become the Executive Director of Keep Houston Beautiful (KHB). Amy’s dream became a reality in 2018, and she now spearheads the organization’s efforts to empower Houstonians to create a cleaner, safer, and healthier city. Our October Scenic Citizen highlights Amy’s leadership and steadfast dedication to enhance the scenic character for all 637 square miles of Houston.

Amy manages this enormous task by carefully selecting projects that satisfy KHB’s three core focus areas: beautification, litter reduction, and recycling education. “By enhancing the aesthetics of a community, we build economic vitality,” Amy says, “The fact that it looks pretty, that’s the cherry on top.” Volunteers and interns provide extra hands, and an active social media presence captures their tireless work.

On any given day, Amy and her team arm themselves with gloves, trash bags, and picks to dedicate a few hours toward periodic litter cleanups. A hunt for trash can fill 30+ bags which helps keep Houston’s public spaces clean and attractive while improving the quality of life and health for Houstonians.

KHB furthers its education efforts through its annual conference held in June. The event connects hundreds of statewide like-minded organizations and affiliates that benefit from networking, exposure, and helpful info that inspires new ways to push their own mission forward back home. Speakers touch on subjects such as litter mitigation, community engagement, and professional development.

With its large urban sprawl, Houston provides KHB with never-ending opportunities. Amy’s calendar is full of appointments at the Mayor’s office, presentations for civic groups, and public engagement appearances. “There’s power in numbers,” Amy says of her network with comparable organizations. She sits on the board of directors for Keep Texas Beautiful and several committees for Keep America Beautiful. By fostering these relationships, KHB can carry out its mission with a supportive network at its side.

“That’s why we align so well with Scenic Houston,” Amy says, “We both have missions that work to make Houston a better place to live, work, and visit.”

Know a Scenic Citizen? Let us know by e-mailing chris@scenichouston.org

The Houston Department of Transformation, a volunteer group of Near Northside residents, are taking action to improve the aesthetic and safety of their neighborhood. Residents are addressing vehicular speeding, improving pedestrian access, and enhancing the community with beautification projects. For our September Scenic Citizen, we are proud to recognize this body of dedicated volunteers committed to improving their community.

In 2017, AVENUE – a nonprofit that invests in people and places that promote vibrant, inclusive neighborhoods and strengthen the city of Houston – granted registration and travel to eight Near Northside residents to attend a NeighborWorks conference in Los Angeles. At the conference, the group devised a strategy to tackle street and pedestrian issues prevalent at three high-traffic intersections and were awarded a $2,000 grant to bring their plan to life. The group used the grant funds to form the Houston Department of Transformation.

Back home, the presence of an organized civic group sparked tremendous community engagement. With participation from residents, the Department installed crosswalks and traffic alerts to indicate nearby schools. Bike Houston partnered with the group to install a pop-up bike lane that led Commissioner Rodney Ellis to invest in the growth of bikeway facilities in the area. Even more,  Salvation Army volunteers assisted with litter clean-up and mowing overgrown lots. “The Department became so much more than we ever imagined from the support we received,” Shirley Ronquillo, a Department team member says. “I think that is where we began to see the power of our group.”

The Department’s initiatives have even expanded to embrace young community residents. The installation of Little Free Libraries in Spark Parks around Near Northside promotes literacy and invites local writers to showcase their work. A grant from East Aldine Management District funded the creation of a series of videos featuring young community members to identify community issues and offer solutions. Videos were presented to elected officials to shine a light on community needs. The Department hopes that exposing the youth to leadership qualities early on will keep the Near Northside’s future in good hands.

In its brief existence, the Department has gained name recognition among community members. As Scenic Houston advances its mission to enhance the visual character of the city’s public spaces across Houston, the Houston Department of Transformation is demonstrating those principles in its own backyard. “The Near Northside is our home. It is our neighborhood. We need to take care of it,” Shirley says.

Houstonians are proud of the city’s incredibly diverse culture, world-class attractions, and its eclectic art scene. The Mini Murals project, created by Elia and Noah Quiles, is adding to Houston’s unique identity. Driving through the city, one of the 200+ traffic signal boxes turned public art has undoubtedly caught your eye. The metal structure of traffic signal boxes provides the perfect canvas for evocative, artistic community expression. The Quiles’ creative approach to introducing art in the pedestrian realm qualifies them to be our August Scenic Citizens.

The Quiles’, founders of UP Art Studio, proposed the Mini Murals concept to city council members, Houston Public Works, and the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs in 2016. The project’s mission to encourage “civic pride through civic art” was met with collective praise, lauded for its brimming potential to create tremendous visual impact across Houston one traffic box at a time.

Over the years, Elia and Noah have developed tight relationships with community stakeholders. Elected officials, management districts, and neighborhood associations sponsor Mini Murals from start to completion, choosing the traffic box location and final design. The projects invite local and visiting artists of varying techniques to bring the murals to life. These eye-catching visuals enhance Houston’s streets, sidewalks, and public spaces. Three years into the program, the project’s colorful portfolio includes a music-themed design sponsored by the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra to a wide-eyed robot monitoring Dallas at Crawford sponsored by Houston First, among many other neighborhood murals.

Mini Murals are simple and cost-effective. They illustrate defining community events, add to a neighborhood’s unique identity, and visually bridge Houston’s public spaces through creative storytelling. Two years ago, Scenic Houston dramatically improved the appearance and conditions of one of Houston’s main airport corridors – Broadway Street. On that same corridor, a William P. Hobby Airport Mini Mural overlooks Broadway at Belfort. Where Scenic Houston brought infrastructure and aesthetic improvements, Mini Murals added an artistic touch. These individual projects stem from two organizations driven to strengthen and sustain a solid and welcoming city image. “When someone comes across one of our Mini Murals, I hope it brightens their day,” said Elia.

Contact UP Art Studio if you or your organization is interested in sponsoring a Mini Mural.

In 1959, the early stages of Memorial City on Houston’s west side began to take shape. Joseph Johnson, the founder of the real estate development company MetroNational, saw potential to transform 200 acres of underutilized land off Gessner Road into a “city within a city.” Now, 60 years later, Memorial City is a prime west side business center and thriving pedestrian hub including a hospital, shopping center, LEED-certified residential and facilities and office buildings, and many top-notch amenities. With its dedication to building best-of-class environments, Scenic Houston is proud to recognize MetroNational as a Scenic Citizen.

Throughout Memorial City’s campus, an array of enhancements improves the pedestrian experience. Color-defining sidewalks provide clear access points and connections to attractions. Comprehensive, on-brand wayfinding signage helps motorists and pedestrians navigate the large site. “We’re trying to build an area where all the uses are supportive of one another,” Marlene Gafrick, MetroNational’s Director of Planning, says. “We think about people and how they walk and get around, where we put the sidewalks in to make sure that Memorial City is easily navigable.”

Marlene joined MetroNational five years ago. Previously, she was Director of Planning for the city of Houston. Her land development and public policy expertise are a perfect fit for MetroNational’s vision. Marlene also serves on the Board of Directors of Scenic Houston, where she is a long-standing member of its Streetscape Committee, which devised and published the Streetscape Resource Guide. Her Scenic Houston involvement provides Marlene another platform to promote best standards for quality streetscape development, in addition to the superlative examples that MetroNational puts in place.

A current MetroNational project is to activate 18 acres on the northwest corner of Gessner and I-10 into an additional pedestrian-oriented environment. Wide sidewalks and bicycle lanes encourage walkability and cycling, and a concrete detention pond was transformed into a park setting to add the benefit of greenspace.  To further strengthen the city’s identity, MetroNational buried overhead utility lines along Gessner to reduce aerial clutter. “Getting rid of the overhead powerlines eliminated that visual blight and made the walking experience so much nicer,” Marlene says. “It makes a tremendous visual impact on the street.”

Like Scenic Houston, MetroNational and Marlene recognize that public spaces can provide tremendous value and enhance communities. MetroNational is committed to continued development first-class environments with inviting social spaces, thoughtful design, and vibrant streetscapes that enhance their developments. “We don’t do quick investment for the short term,“ Marlene says. “We do projects well and with good quality.”

Tell us more by e-mailing: info@scenichouston.org

This month’s Scenic Citizen recognizes the Perspectives beautification art project displayed at the busy I-45/Cullen underpass near the University of Houston (UH). Designed by students in the Graphic Design program, the Perspectives mural depicts the history and character of four neighboring communities.

GONZO247, a Houston graffiti artist, collaborated with the students to produce a design that would communicate a vivid story to the public. The students presented the concept to a committee of stakeholders interested in boosting the underpass’s visual appeal, including the East Downtown Management District, the Texas Department of Transportation, and Sherwin Williams, which donated all 55 gallons of paint for the project. With the UH students as his assistants, GONZO247 installed the mural across the 22 columns of the underpass.

Brushstrokes of orange imitate EaDo’s Dynamo Stadium; a red beehive pattern represents the UH community; a blue circular pattern echoes the soulful musical background of Third Ward; and Eastwood is portrayed with a structured green pattern inspired by its history as one of Houston’s first master-planned subdivisions. Additionally, LED lighting was installed to illuminate the underpass at night, resulting in a safer, pedestrian-friendly environment.

Through deliberate color choices and dynamic storytelling, Perspectives illustrates the rich history and character of the neighboring communities. GONZO247 sees the mural as a perfect example of how art can enhance the visual character of a public space. “I see Houston starting to become known for its murals and public art,” he said. “Perspectives fits perfectly by adding to the visual landscape of the city.”

Scenic Houston is impressed with the collaborative efforts involved in this project.  With Perspectives, the mural demonstrates how art can enhance the visual character of Houston one brushstroke at a time.

Know a Scenic Citizen? Tell us more by e-mailing info@scenichouston.org