Dr. Stephen Klineberg
Thursday, September 20, 2018
Dr. Stephen Klineberg has been shaping local thought on the ongoing changes in the Houston metropolitan region for almost 40 years. Through his work on the “Kinder Houston Area Survey,” now in its 38th year, he has tracked the economic outlooks, demographic patterns, experiences and beliefs of local residents. Under contract with Simon & Schuster, his book, “Prophetic City: Houston on the Cusp of a Changing America” will be released in 2019. Dr. Klineberg is the recipient of twelve major teaching awards and a much sought-after speaker in the Houston community and beyond. He is a graduate of Haverford College, the University of Paris and Harvard University. He and his wife Margaret have called Houston home since the early 1970s; they have two children and five grandchildren.
Few cities more clearly exemplify the trends that are refashioning the social and political landscape across urban America. A new high-tech, knowledge-based, global economy is generating mounting inequalities based primarily on access to quality education. An epic demographic transformation is underway as this nation – once predominantly composed of European nationalities – becomes a microcosm of all the world’s ethnicities and religions. And quality-of-life attributes now increasingly determine the fates of cities.
In his presentations and forthcoming publication, Dr. Klineberg presents the key findings from 37 years of Houston surveys to explore the way the new realities are unfolding, and to consider their implications for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
About the Kinder Institute:
Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research builds better cities and improves people’s lives through a unique blend of data, research, engagement and action. As multi-disciplinary “think and do tank”, the mission centers on advancing understanding of the most important urban issues facing Houston and other leadership urban centers.
The Kinder Institute was formally created in 2010 through a transformational gift from Houston philanthropists Nancy and Rich Kinder.