At January Advisors, our passions run deep. On the surface, we are data nerds, but at our core, we are apple nerds. Whenever we get together, we conduct elaborate blind taste tests of different apple varieties. After slicing the apples, we slice the data, identifying the group’s favorite, least favorite, and most contentious apples. Want … Read more
The Chevron Marathon is this weekend, bringing 27,000 runners from around the world to Houston. Each runner carries with them unique reasons that keep them moving through busy weeks and bad weather. Some common motivators are improving cardiovascular health, getting to know your city, socializing with a running community, and the satisfaction of setting and … Read more
There’s only 3 months left in 2015 and it’s been a doozy in the environmental world to say the least. Climate treaties, continued droughts, unprecedented flooding, and technology advances in solar power and water treatment have all taken center stage. Sure, scientists know the nuances of these issues, but these problems are complex and are going to be around … Read more
Every year, the City of Houston goes through a capital planning process where they allocate about $8 billion over five years. I wanted to know where these projects are, and how much we’re spending on them. I became curious about this process after last year’s discussion about equitable distribution. So I extracted a bunch of data from the … Read more
It’s been a few months since I’ve posted a roundup of Houston-focused maps and data projects. There have been some really great stories while I’ve been gone. Here are some of my favorites: Find chemical storage facilities in your neighborhood We have very little idea of where dangerous chemicals are stored throughout Houston. This was clear in … Read more
This is a post about how we built an early childhood education research map prototype for two Houston-based education advocacy groups and a coalition of 70+ partners. This is the end of the first phase of development. Check it out here. Quality early education increases school readiness, contributes to better student academic outcomes, and increases high … Read more
If you’ve looked into civic engagement in the City of Houston, you may already know that Houston has one of the lowest percentages of voter turnout in Texas. Over the past two months, I’ve been digging deeper into this issue by researching Houston elections, reading endless articles, and interviewing various Houstonians. Everyone acknowledged that voter … Read more
Less than 6 months ago I woke up and realized that although I had lived in Houston for nearly two years, I could count on one hand the number of people I knew in Houston that weren’t affiliated with Rice. Although I felt connected to the city though bike rides and a love for exploring, … Read more
Water stress is growing worldwide. Over the past 10 years, water stress is more severe in China, South Asia, and the Western United States. Study after study proves that this increased stress is attributed to growing demand for freshwater and supply shortages. Shifting global precipitation patterns from climate change are the culprits. The graph below … Read more
If you have ever wondered where to find Houston’s landfills, look no further than the new environmental justice web tool released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier this month. On June 10, 2015, EPA released EJSCREEN, an environmental justice screening and mapping tool. EJSCREEN uses high resolution maps with demographic and environmental data … Read more