About the Center

The mission of the Urban Research Center of Houston (URC) is to provide a permanent home for the “Houston Area Survey,” to stimulate other metropolitan research, and to develop innovative tools that will enhance public access to and use of the research findings, creating new directions for social change.

At its heart is the annual Houston Area Survey (HAS), the nation’s longest running study of a single metropolitan area’s changing economic circumstances, demographic patterns, and public attitudes. Through 27 years of systematic research, these annual surveys have become a valued source of continually updated empirical information. By providing an ever richer measure of Houston’s changing pulse, they help to clarify the remarkable challenges and opportunities facing this region as the twenty-first century unfolds.

The new Center will ensure the continuation and expansion of the HAS into the future and enhance its value to the wider community. The URC will become a magnet for talent, bringing additional voices and insights into the conversation about pressing issues facing the Houston region and beyond. It will offer students hands-on experience in carrying out objective community research. It will support a variety of research assistantships to strengthen its connections with local organizations and to enhance its ability to respond to requests for information requiring specific analyses of the survey findings.

The Center’s goal is to become a catalyst for civic engagement and a nationally recognized leader in translating academic research into a readily accessible resource base for the Houston region and beyond.

Click here to view the URC brochure