Rice Urbanists, established in Fall 2015, promotes discussion of urban planning, infrastructure and sustainability issues. More specifically, the organization aims to: facilitate awareness of urban planning issues in the city of Houston; promote a discussion about the application of modern planning principles to Rice’s campus and surrounding districts (including walkability, low-impact development and accessibility); provide a platform for student engagement with Houston’s municipal government, third-party advocacy organizations and various Rice faculty members via structured meetings and presentations; facilitate connections between sociology, architecture and civil engineering students (as well as anybody else who’s interested); address environmental sustainability, gentrification, environmental justice and the various forms of segregation; and petition for the expansion and refinement of mass transportation facilities and options in Houston.

How to get involved: