Introducing Greater West Houston.  Growth here continues; a bright spot on the nation's economy.

The West Houston Association has published the West Houston Plan 2050 2010 Update (PDF Format) of the 2007 West Houston Plan 2050 to monitor the economic and community attributes that stimulate growth.  This update also addresses the challenges we face in maintaining the area's high quality of life and place.

(New population & employment data on Greater West Houston)

This 2010 Update focuses on our growth and infrastructure progress and challenges.  In addition, we have updated our 2050 Greater West Houston Land Use Scenario-a peek at how the region may likely look at mid-century.

Vision & Goals of West Houston Plan 2050

A sustainable economic powerhouse with quality living and working environments styled to meet the complete range of contemporary market demands supported by a public infrastructure setting the pace in the region and the nation.

• Keeping Greater West Houston (GWH) the premier place to live, work and play in the Houston Metropolitan Area

• Making Greater West Houston even better by advocating new quality standards for future growth

• Anticipating infrastructure needs and avoiding extensive periods when infrastructure trails the demand for improvements

Growth of Greater West Houston

GWH is a 1,000 square mile high growth portion in the west of the Houston region.  It has and will continue to expand, accommodate and renew.  It has become the region's icon of growth and prosperity.  New estimates based upon metropolitan totals for 2050 place GWH with a population of 2.4 million equivalent to current Denver, Pittsburg or Portland  metropolitan areas.  Employment is forecasted to reach nearly 1 million by 2050 and is greater than current employment in San Antonio, Fort Worth or Austin.*

Quality Planned Developments Quality Planned Developments is a program of the West Houston Association that encourages quality growth attributes in residential and commercial developments.  It is designed to foster in smaller communities  the same look and feel of master planned communities and quality commercial developments.  The vision is to encourage innovation, uniqueness and dynamic responsiveness to market demands in aesthetically appealing, environmentally-friendly ways.	Livable Centers Livable Centers such as CityCentre typify the response of GWH's development community to new working and living demands of the market.  CityCentre is a unique private sector initiative, located in a traditional suburban market and is a redevelopment of an older suburban retail complex.  This and other such developments disprove the conventional thinking:  that the suburban market is static and whose time has come and gone.  The future will bring more of these communities to the market.	Greater West Houston's Downtown GWH's core or "downtown" is centered along I-10 West and the Sam Houston Parkway with over 30 million square feet of office space and 150,000 employees ranking it third largest in Houston behind the CBD and Uptown areas.  The GWH "downtown" consists of three distinct employment centers- Energy Corridor, Westchase, and Memorial City- and is supported by a redeveloped major regional mall and numerous retail districts, hotels and hospitals.
Growth in GWH has been its hallmark.  Just as the Houston region has always known growth, GWH "began" as a fledgling  suburb in the late 1960's with residential development just west of the "villages" along Memorial Drive and in the suburb of Spring Branch.  Known for its tall pines and oaks, this upscale area quickly grew has the Central Business District expanded. From those modest beginnings with a population of about 184,000 and employment of 17,000 in 1970, Greater West Houston has emerged with a population of over 1 million and an employment base of nearly 500,000. Growth Places Strong Emphasis on Need for Improved Infrastructure As the forecast of population and employment data suggest, we see continued strong demand for all elements of the market in GWH-residential and commercial facilities-through mid-century.  With GWH on track to more than double its current population and employment base, strong emphasis must be placed on building and rebuilding the infrastructure to accommodate that growth.  The following areas of focus where first identified in the West Houston Plan 2050 and are presented here as an update on progress and needed improvement. Key Infrastructure Focus Areas-An Update on Progress & Challenges Forecasted growth will challenge a wide range of infrastructure upon which GWH will depend.  The 2010 report is an update on infrastructure areas that are key drivers of economic growth and quality of living.  Click on the topic area for a review of their status: Transportation Flood Control & Drainage Quality Planned Communities Water & Wastewater Regionalization Education & Healthcare Conservation & Open Space Infrastructure Rehabilitation The West Houston Association has published its most recent population and jobs forecast for Greater West Houston.  These may be found at this link: Greater West Houston Economic Information