Buffalo Bayou - Houston, TX

Buffalo Bayou has been a focal point in Houston’s history since the Allen brothers founded the city in 1836.  As Houston celebrates its 175th birthday this year, the city is once again reinventing itself with Buffalo Bayou as the centerpiece of its development.

Since issuing its 20-year master plan, Buffalo Bayou and Beyond in 2002, Buffalo Bayou Partnership has been committed to creating a central, regional-scale amenity that offers opportunities for recreation, urban living, entertainment and livability.  New destinations, development sites and natural amenities are revitalizing the once neglected waterfront into an active and vibrant center, enriching the lives of residents and attracting visitors from throughout  the region and beyond.

By providing increased public access, integrating landscape amenities with flood management infrastructure and encouraging boating and other public uses, the bayou’s image is being transformed from industrial channel to active community destination.  Other key efforts in attracting Houstonians and visitors to Buffalo Bayou include improving water quality, increasing wildlife habitat and reducing erosion. 

Buffalo Bayou’s transformation is creating a deeper relationship between nature and the city, as well as  building value into Houston’s urban economy, improving the city’s quality of life, and causing a renewed appreciation of the landscapes and  other bayous beautifully integrated throughout the city.

“Houston owes its very existence to Buffalo Bayou.   Today, Buffalo Bayou Partnership is taking a neglected waterway and transforming it into an attractive and inviting gateway into downtown.  Equally significant are the organization’s efforts to revitalize the bayou’s east sector with hike and bike trails, parks, and sites for boating and other recreational activities. 

The City of Houston has been proud to be a partner in the public-private partnership to restore our city’s history waterway and looks forward to transforming the bayou’s west sector into Houston’s premier and most iconic green spaces in the years ahead. “

Annise Parker, Houston Mayor