Port of Houston impact on the socio-economic status of surrounding neighborhoods: A case study in Houston, Texas

This project explores the forces of historical public policy in Houston, Texas, as it relates to the development and expansion of the Port of Houston System, the impact of that growth on the socio-economic status of surrounding neighborhoods, and the resulting land use practices in U. S. Census Tracts adjacent to the port facilities. The effects of globalization of markets, decreases in trade barriers and tariffs, and development of containerized cargo are current market forces that have impacted the multiple port complexes in Harris County Texas. Funding the cost and fueling the pace of port expansion and maintenance over the last century has been through public (federal, state, and local), private, and corporate initiatives. Not considered by public governance and growth coalitions over the past six decades of port expansion is the cost residents along the Houston Ship Channel bear in the form of quality of life, environmental hazards, urban decay, community infrastructure, and corresponding housing values.