CHALLENGE 18 · HOUSTON NEIGHBORHOOD THIRD SPACES

A sourced starting point

A good place to meet changes a neighborhood.

thirdhou helps people find a practical place to linger, understand what is known, and make the next neighborhood idea more concrete.

Watch the demo Open the app

A live hackathon prototype · Houston · 2026

A welcoming Houston courtyard with shared tables under live oaks

Room for
one more.

THIRDHOU / 01

The challenge

Where can different lives meet comfortably?

02 / 08

“Create neighborhood gathering places where people from different backgrounds can meet, understand one another, and have meaningful conversations.”— Challenge 18, original brief

THE OPEN QUESTIONS

What kind of space should serve the first neighborhood?
How much do dogs and pet facilities matter?
What makes access, weather protection, and programming useful?

thirdhou does not pretend a website can build a room. It starts by making the existing rooms easier to choose and the missing ones easier to describe.

The product

Start with the places Houston already has.

03 / 08

thirdhou SOURCED PLACES

6 placesWorth a closer look.

01Discovery GreenDowntown · Park

02Levy ParkUpper Kirby · Park

03Emancipation ParkThird Ward · Park

04McGovern Centennial GardensMuseum District · Garden

05Moody Community CenterNear Northside · Community center

06Eastwood Community CenterEast End · Community center

A small, honest surface

Real places. Official links. Known details.

Each record carries an operator source and a checked date. If the catalog does not know a detail, the product leaves it unknown.

✓6 Houston places · sources checked Sep 26, 2026

The first action

Filter for what decides whether you’ll go.

04 / 08

thirdhou1 of 6 places

Covered / shaded✓ Indoor optionStep-free confirmedKnown free✓ Dogs welcome

010203040506

Indoor.The first filter narrows six places to four.

Dogs.A second practical preference narrows four to one.

Levy Park.One real match, with no availability promise.

Unknown.Cost and step-free access still need checking.

Explore → compare → save a shortlist → get directions.

The trust model

Good civic software knows what it does not know.

05 / 08

02Upper Kirby · Park✓ source checked

Levy Park

3801 Eastside St, Houston, TX 77098

WHY IT’S HEREShaded pavilion, activity lawn, reading room, garden, and dog areasDETAILS FROM SOURCESee operator for current hoursACCESSAccess detail not listedCOSTCost not listed

Levy Park · Visit ↗

A product principle

Unknown is a useful answer.

Every place detail points back to the operator. The interface separates confirmed facts from details a resident still needs to check before planning a visit.

Not live availability.
A better starting point.

From browsing to belonging

Turn “someone should…” into a resident signal.

06 / 08

thirdhouRESIDENT SIGNAL

Make the next place more possible.

What would your neighborhood make room for?

Alief, Third Ward, East End

A shaded place where neighbors could…

Your draft stays on this device.

01Save a place.Keep the maybe.

02Draft an idea.Name the moment.

03Mark interest.Private for now.

Proposals and meetup interest require verified identity. They are not public RSVPs, reservations, or a promise that a facility will be built.

Progress · practical · potential

A small prototype with a realistic next move.

07 / 08

01 / PROGRESS

Live now

Six source-backed places, map pins, fit filters, details, directions, shortlist, and private resident signals.

SHIPPED

02 / PRACTICAL

Try one neighborhood

Ask neighbors what makes a place usable through Houston weather, access needs, and different rhythms of gathering.

NEXT TEST

03 / POTENTIAL

Make the signal legible

With consent and a moderated workflow, learn which small spaces deserve a real conversation with operators.

OPEN QUESTION

The ask

Make room for one more conversation.

08 / 08

Poster for the thirdhou narrated product demo

Watch the narrated demo

Find the place. Check the fit. Raise a hand.

The code-authored demo follows the live product surface and keeps the edges honest: official sources, explicit unknowns, and private signals.

Open demo Download PDF

thirdhouHouston places for being together.