Wed, Oct 28
|United Way of Greater Houston, Aud. GH
Confluence: Where Ideas and Practice Meet
Join us this fall for Confluence: Where Ideas and Practice Meet, exploring how Houston's drainage infrastructure can be maximized during redevelopment to serve both stormwater management and the communities around it.
Time & Location
Oct 28, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
United Way of Greater Houston, Aud. GH, United Way, 50 Waugh Dr, Houston, TX 77007, USA
About The Event
Confluence: Where Ideas and Practice Meet
Fall 2026 Series
Wednesday, October 28th | 10 AM – 12 PM
United Way of Greater Houston
Registration
Join us. Tickets are now available. Secure your spot today.
About This Program
Areas of Houston are redeveloping and the region continues to plan for more frequent and intense storm events. As urban areas grow and change the question becomes: how do we protect our neighborhoods and give people meaningful access to recreation and green space?
This fall, Confluence turns its focus to the infrastructure already doing this work, and asks how we build on it.
Open by Design: Maximizing Houston's Urban Drainage Systems explores how Houston's drainage infrastructure, the systems designed to move water through our city, can be maximized during redevelopment to serve both stormwater management and the communities that surround it. Drawing from real Houston case studies, the program brings together practitioners from across Houston's design, planning, and conservation community for a cross-sector morning of insights and dialogue.
Houston has already built drainage infrastructure worth learning from. This program is about recognizing that work and asking what comes next as our city continues to grow.
Featured Speaker
Ed Pettitt, President, Friends of Columbia Tap
Panelists
Daniel Millikin, Executive Director, Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy
Christopher Sims, Executive Director of Development Services for the City of League City
Daniel Rodriguez, Chief Operations Officer, Harris County Precinct 4, Commissioner Lesley Briones Office
Moderated by
Christopher Browne, LEED AP, Bayou Preservation Association Executive Committee
What to Expect
A featured presentation on community impact and the human story behind Houston’s drainage spaces
A moderated panel discussion with Houston case study representatives
A Coffee & Bites Mixer from 9 to 10 AM for partners, speakers, and Premium guests
Cross-sector networking with professionals shaping Houston’s built and natural environment
Continuing Education Credits
This event is approved for:
1.50 CM credits from the American Planning Association
1.50 Learning Units for professionals seeking Continuing Education
Thank you to our 2026 partners and supporters for making this conversation possible.
Watershed Guardian
Bayou Innovator
Tributary Supporter
About Confluence
Confluence: Where Ideas and Practice Meet is Bayou Preservation Association's biannual educational series, now in its 23rd year. Each program convenes professionals across engineering, planning, landscape architecture, conservation, and environmental fields for a cross-sector conversation around timely challenges shaping Houston's future.
Thank you to our organizing partners for helping shape this year's program:
