HOUSTON – (By Ralph Bivins of Realty News Report) – Can Space City reclaim its former momentum? It can, if Houston rediscovers the determined, entrepreneurial spirit that once defined it. Opportunity is waiting, but the city must quickly regain its economic footing.
Has Space City lost its once-undefeated attitude? Perhaps Houston’s leadership grew complacent, content to relax while competitors like Dallas and Austin accumulated economic development wins. Houston did not make Amazon’s top 20 list for its HQ2 search, a sign the city needs to sharpen its competitive edge.
Houston still calls itself Space City, and NASA’s Johnson Space Center remains a key presence in the region.
A year ago, astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley launched aboard a SpaceX rocket from Cape Canaveral. It was the first American crewed launch in nearly a decade, a collaboration between NASA and SpaceX that signaled a renewed U.S. presence in human spaceflight.
SpaceX’s role in restoring crewed launches reopens possibilities for Houston, reconnecting the city to its space-era identity.
In 1961, NASA established the Manned Spacecraft Center on 1,700 acres in southeast Harris County, and early astronauts lived nearby. Those astronauts were local celebrities—explorers venturing into the unknown—fueling the city’s imagination and reputation.
During that era Houston built the Astrodome, the world’s first air-conditioned domed stadium, staking its claim as Space City. Astronaut Gus Grissom attended the first Houston Astros game on April 9, 1965. The stadium’s ushers were nicknamed “Spacettes.”
Back then Houston embodied a can-do spirit. When skeptics said the Astrodome couldn’t be built, the city built it. When grass wouldn’t grow indoors, Houston invented Astroturf. Innovation was everywhere.
At NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center—renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in 1973—teams worked on the Mercury and Gemini programs with fierce determination.
Visionary Leadership
NASA pursued the vision President John F. Kennedy articulated at Rice Stadium on Sept. 12, 1962: that American astronauts should set foot on the Moon before the decade’s end. Houston supported that goal, and NASA achieved it in 1969. Kennedy’s vision endured beyond his life, a reminder that true leadership can outlast a single leader.
“Where there is no vision, the people perish,” the Book of Proverbs notes. That observation raises a vital question for Houston today: Where are we now? What is our mission, and what defines our identity? Do those answers resonate with bus drivers, nurses, and teachers across the city?
In the 1960s Houston knew who it was. We built Mission Control. Judge Roy Hofheinz built the Astrodome. The Texas Medical Center grew into a global hub. Space City rose with such force that the world watched.
A Call to Houston’s Next Leader
Houston needs a new vision and a leader who can unite the region and give residents confidence they will not be left behind. The city does have such a leader; the author believes in a particular person but declines to name them publicly. Still, the appeal is clear: step forward, provide direction, and craft a fresh identity for Houston.
Houston doesn’t merely need a manager. It needs a leader willing to challenge the status quo and to act boldly rather than cling to familiar routines.
As 2030 approaches, slogans won’t be enough. Houston is on track to surpass Chicago and become the nation’s third-largest city. Without strong leadership, that growth could become chaotic.
Unity must be paramount. The next leader’s political affiliation should be irrelevant—this task goes beyond partisan politics. No presidential endorsements are necessary; what Houston needs is leadership rooted in love for the city and a commitment to guide it forward.
May Houston’s next leader rise to point the way to a prosperous future.
The Words of Kennedy
“There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again. But why, some say, the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” – President John F. Kennedy at Rice Stadium in Houston, Sept. 12, 1962.
June 16, 2021 Realty News Report Copyright 2021
Commentary by Ralph Bivins, Editor of Realty News Report
Photo Credit: Ralph Bivins, Realty News Report Copyright 2021
Caption: The Sam Houston Monument in Hermann Park. Sculptor Enrico Filiberto Cerrachio completed the work in 1924. Commissioned by the Women’s Club of Houston, the monument honors General Sam Houston, the first President of the Republic of Texas.
For more about Texas, check out the book Houston 2020: America’s Boom Town – An Extreme Close Up by Ralph Bivins. Available on Amazon
File: Wherefore Art Thou Houston?