Houston Council Member Mario Castillo has launched Resilient H, a new community-driven initiative designed to make District H neighborhoods greener, cooler, and more resilient to rising heat and extreme weather.
The program was introduced during a recent community meeting featuring speakers from the public and private sectors. The discussion highlighted the need for collaboration between government, business, and residents to strengthen Houston’s capacity to adapt to climate challenges.
Addressing the heat — one neighborhood at a time
Castillo said the idea for Resilient H came to him in the very hot summer of 2023, before he was elected. After block-walking across the district as a candidate, he saw firsthand the toll that extreme heat and a lack of tree canopy were taking on residents.
The panelists at the meeting were Randy Macchi, director of Houston Public Works; Elizabeth Brock, METRO chair; Clint Pasche, from Greater Houston Partnership and Dr. Ruth Turley, from the Kinder Institute. The panel was moderated by Kris Larson, president and CEO of Central Houston Inc. (Photo courtesy of Mario Castillo’s Office)
“In neighborhoods where you had a tree canopy and shade, it was a little more comfortable to walk the streets, and in neighborhoods where you didn’t, not only are you feeling that heat come up from the ground, but you’re seeing the homes exposed, thinking about what is it costing to cool those homes in the summer,” Castillo said.
The extreme heat kept residents indoors, Castillo said, and people couldn’t walk their dogs or go to the park. Then the derecho and Hurricane Beryl struck, wiping out what few trees the area had. Houston faces frequent extreme weather—storms, floods, freezes, and heat—and while major city projects like the North Canal and Lake Houston improvements are underway, there’s still a gap in neighborhood-level resilience, which Castillo hopes to address through community-focused efforts.
The first goal is to plant 500 trees in Northside, an area especially vulnerable to heat.
“We’re not talking five-gallon trees — although they’re good, we’ll take them — but we’re talking 15-gallon trees, that are more durable, that will make an impact quicker,” Castillo said. “Trees that will make people sign up and say, ‘I want that tree in my yard’.”
Inspired by Medellin, Colombia
Castillo credited Medellín, Colombia, for inspiring the initiative. The South American city transformed its neighborhoods through a network of green corridors that helped lower average temperatures by 2°C and improve quality of life.
In July, Castillo led a delegation that included Russell Etherton, Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca, Rebecca Reyna, Cassie Hoeprich, and Jacque Gonzalez-Garcia on a 3-day visit to Medellín.
“They have transformed that city,” said Castillo. “They, like Houston, faced a lot of days of extreme heat, and so they took one of their biggest contributors to this heat, their corridors and highways with no shade, no tree cover, no vegetation, and they made an effort to green those, to cool them.”
The Medellin group: Left to right, Russell Etherton, Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca, Rebecca Reyna, Mario Castillo, Cassie Hoeprich, Jacque Gonzalez-Garcia'(Photo courtesy of Mario Castillo’s Office)
Drawing from that model, Resilient H seeks to create “cool corridors” in Houston — shaded streets that reduce heat island effects, improve air quality, and foster community well-being.
A four-part strategy for resilience
The initiative will focus on four key areas:
- Expanding neighborhood green spaces and parks. Planting trees in people’s yards.
- Weatherizing homes through measures like pipe wrapping and energy efficiency upgrades. Install rain barrels so that the trees have a water source.
- Upgrading infrastructure to better withstand heat and storms.
- Advancing smart policy that supports sustainable urban growth
“Downtown Houston+ is already doing this right over here on Main Street for their Promenade Project,” said Castillo. “They are actively constructing a cool corridor, and not only is it going to look amazing, but it’s going to have a real impact. The goal of a 20 degree-decrease in surface temperature, a three to five degree-decrease in average ambient temperature.”
The first “cool corridor” project outside of Downtown is planned along Cavalcade Street, in partnership with local stakeholders and the management district.
Castillo closed the meeting by underscoring the need for local participation. “Resilience starts with our neighborhoods,” he said. “We’re working together to lower energy costs, reduce health risks, and build stronger, more sustainable communities for the future.”
With Resilient H, District H aims to model how grassroots action, thoughtful planning, and shared responsibility can help Houston thrive in the face of a changing climate.
The first Northside Resiliency Event will be held on Nov. 15 at Moody Park, 3725 Fulton St., beginning at 9 a.m. The event will include free 15-gallon trees and 50-gallon rain barrels, along with home weatherization and pipe-wrapping assistance for winter. Residents can register at houstontx.gov/council/h/resilienth