SPACE City Panel

Welcome to the SPACE City Panel —your window into how Houstonians adapt, innovate and thrive when facing changes and challenges. Developed by the Center for Public Policy at the Hobby School of Public Affairs in partnership with the National Opinion Research Center, this groundbreaking longitudinal survey gathers insights from residents across the greater Houston region. Residents are asked about their communities, perceptions, well-being and expectations through online, mail and phone surveys.

Why Houston?

As the nation’s fourth largest city and a “global lab” for public policy, Houston’s communities are uniquely positioned to reveal how people respond to today’s biggest issues—whether it’s extreme weather, economic swings or the transition to a sustainable future. By tracking residents’ attitudes and experiences over time, the SPACE City Panel delivers timely data to inform policymakers, organizations, business leaders and the public.

Join the Center for Public Policy in exploring the resilience, opinions and ambitions of this vibrant metropolis. With quarterly surveys on community engagement, economics, sustainability and more, the SPACE City Panel spotlights the voices that shape Houston today and inspire it tomorrow.

Each quarter, the 1,500 SPACE City panelists selected to reflect the greater Houston area, spanning nine counties, answer questions about two of the four rotating modules:

Rotating Modules:

September	December	March	June
Politics	Sustainability	Politics	Sustainability
Resiliency	Economics	Resiliency	Economics

With information collected over time, Hobby School researchers and partners can construct extensive profiles of residents to provide quick and highly informed responses to topics important to Houstonians. These topics include, but are not limited to, natural disasters and recovery, education, economic hardships and vulnerability, immigration, and energy and climate change.

The SPACE City Panel's focus on public engagement, community resiliency, economics and sustainability delivers timely, in-depth insights into how the nation’s fourth-largest city responds to evolving challenges.

Beyond the quarterly surveys, the SPACE City Panel also offers custom opportunities for researchers, government agencies, businesses, community organizations, and other stakeholders to add questions or explore specific issues and trends over time to understand, serve and shape Houston’s vibrant future.