As the Houston region continues to grow and evolve, so too does its complex network of roadways, highways and public spaces. With ongoing conversations around congestion, redevelopment and equitable and inclusive access shaping the city’s future, Rice University offers an expert voice on urban transportation and infrastructure design.
Mandi Chapa, lecturer at the Rice School of Architecture and a trained architect and urban designer with Huitt-Zollars (formerly Morris Architects), is available for interviews on topics including urban transportation, infrastructure planning and community-centered design in Houston and beyond.
Chapa leads the Houston downtown urban planning team at Huitt-Zollars, where she has managed a range of transformative projects. Her work spans Livable Centers studies for downtown Houston, North Houston, Washington Avenue, Fourth Ward, Midtown, Galveston and Rosenberg, as well as transit and greenway planning and street design manuals for Dallas. Most recently, she helped develop the Disability-Inclusive Parks, Trails and Playgrounds Guidelines for the Houston Parks Board, advancing best practices for accessibility and inclusion in public spaces.
She has also played an active role in the public engagement process for the I-45 redevelopment project, helping to ensure that design and planning efforts reflect community needs and promote long-term urban resilience. Her work focuses on design, equity, and data-driven strategies that connect people to places and strengthen local infrastructure.
“Understanding how our transportation systems shape daily life — and who benefits from them — is critical to building more inclusive, resilient cities,” Chapa said. “Houston’s growing region presents both challenges and opportunities to rethink how we move through and experience our cities.”
Chapa recently appeared on Houston Public Media’s Houston Matters for a segment discussing potential redesigns and future visions for Houston’s roadways and freeways.
Chapa is fluent in Spanish and available for interviews in both English and Spanish.
To schedule an interview with Chapa, contact Andrew Bell at ab208@rice.edu.