HOUSTON – A major downtown Houston project is underway to make the city center more walkable and cooler through strategic shade installations and green infrastructure, just in time for the upcoming World Cup.
The ambitious nearly $3 million initiative spans 27 downtown blocks on Main Street and Texas Avenue and aims to reduce temperatures by up to 10 degrees through a combination of new shade structures, tree plantings, and artistic installations.
Historic Buildings Getting Modern Updates
At the historic Kiam Building, known as downtown Houston’s first structure with an elevator, renovation work is incorporating modern cooling features while preserving its historical significance. The building will feature a new wraparound awning designed to create comfortable gathering spaces.
“It doesn’t just provide shade and comfort, but it encourages people to gather, slow down, breathe, and engage in the space,” says Christine Lee, whose family owns the Kiam Building. The renovation aims to tell “the building’s next chapter” while contributing to a more temperature-friendly downtown environment…