This spring, Uptown Houston planted the 100th custom-grown Live Oak tree along Post Oak Boulevard. The beautiful trees are just one of the ways the Boulevard Project will completely transform Post Oak Boulevard.
The reconstruction of Post Oak Boulevard is based on Uptown Houston's vision to rebuild the entire length of the well-known stretch of road — from Richmond Avenue to IH 610 West Loop — in such a way that it offers a thoughtfully landscaped pedestrian environment, preserves existing automobile lanes, and substantially improves transit service.
"This is a destination boulevard only Houston can build," says John Breeding, Uptown Houston's district president. "Many of our city's most beloved and finest architectural achievements, restaurants, residences, and retailers call Uptown home, and we will have a magnificent, walkable boulevard to match. We are passionate about creating an environment that will benefit all those who work, stay, visit, and play along Post Oak Boulevard."
Now, in the Boulevard Project's "year of completion," Houstonians and visitors alike are beginning to reap those benefits. As of the end of 2017, all southbound main lanes and northbound main lanes from San Felipe to the West Loop were completed.
Modifications to the final set of arches, at Neiman's and Dillard's, were just completed in March of 2018.
"I think it's a project that's going to affect the rest of the country," says esteemed urban planner and Yale University adjunct professor Alexander Garvin. "I think it will become the grandest boulevard in the United States."
But maybe what's most impressive is the sheer scale of these changes. Here's a look at some of the other major improvements the Boulevard Project is bringing to Uptown Houston:
- 800: The number of Cathedral Live Oak trees that will line Post Oak Boulevard and provide a continuous canopy, adding welcome shade to the thoroughfare.
- 300: The number of pedestrian lights that will be installed, illuminating the sidewalks and welcoming increased foot traffic.
- 136:The width in feet that Post Oak Boulevard will be when completed, making it similar in size to New York’s Park Avenue and Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.
- 12: The width in feet of the new pedestrian sidewalks, which will enhance walkability and allow space for a tree-lined canopy.
- 9:The number of new bus stations built in the median, offering a new regional transit service while enabling residents and visitors to travel along Post Oak Boulevard without getting in their vehicles.
Post Oak Boulevard is the anchor of Uptown Houston, an area that's already brimming with prestigious shopping, hotels, dining, and entertainment options. But it's the beautification and enhanced walkability of the Boulevard that makes this urban community in the heart of Houston truly feel complete.
Uptown's iconic stainless-steel arches will remain.
