How Houston gets along without zoning

Interesting, this lack of zoning in Houston is on my spatial planning exam. Quite a peculiar city this is, especially to Europeans.

It's disingenuous to say that Houston has no zoning without mentioning that it does have strict, minimum parking regulations, strict minimum lot size regulations, and wide streets and long blocks. Though it might not have traditional single-use Euclidean zoning regulations, it does have a lot of strictures that limit density and discourage walkability and feasibility of mass transit.

http://rationalitate.blogspot.com/2008/12/is-houston-really-unplanned.html

I used to live in Houston. Interestingly enough, since pretty much any residential area in Houston is covered by CC&Rs due to no zoning, I actually have more property rights where I live now with zoning than I did in Houston. Libertarians would have you believe that things like zoning result in fewer freedoms, but in reality that isn't the case.

Houston is this huge, complicated city that is hard to pin down or even understand. The suburbs are endless beige McMansions and Wal-Marts, while central Houston has an energetic and for-real arts scene including the largest art car parade in the world. The suburbs are strictly controlled by their unelected 'Homeowner's Association's that make sure everyone paints their house beige and has a nice car in the driveway (in extreme, but common cases). In town, there are no homeowner associations, no zoning, no controls of any kind beyond basic ticketable offenses like never mowing your lawn (though nothing that says you have to have a lawn if you don't want to!). And hey Stephen, the lot size and setback requirements were all repealed within the I-610 loop ten years ago, which is why they're now building 3-6 three storey townhomes, attached to each other buy independent structures, on the lots that formerly held a single 1920s-1950s home. Yes, parts of central Houston are approaching European density and higher- most of the townhomes in London have small backyards, the new ultra-dense central Houston neighbourhoods have zero or nearly zero land around them at all- only driveway entrances to each unit's 2 car garage that occupies the entire first floor. So yeah, Houston is a peculiar city.. but not simple or easy to put in a cubby-hole. If you visit, just don't make any opinions until you have seen CENTRAL Houston. Give the suburbs a pass..

What's the difference between a city with zoning and one without? The cities with zoning have endless re-zoning hearings.

I like the lack of zoning. It gives this great, underrated city much character. I like the fact that I can see a church, bar, strip club and warehouse all along the same street!! haha. Gives you VARIETY! I don't know of any other big city where you can live in a lovely neighborhood w/kids playing in the street and neighbors you know, while simultaneously being in-town. That's GREAT! (I despise developments! Country or City and nothing else matters!)
I do NOT however condone building massive 25-story buildings in a neighborhood that doesn't surpass 6-floor level. They look horrible and destroy the aesthetic beauty and quirkiness of certain areas.
And I leave with something I heard an Italian friend say; which sums up Houston quite beautifuly and acurately:
"It's true what they say about Houston: You cry when you get here and you cry when you leave!"

I like the lack of zoning. It gives this great, underrated city much character. I like the fact that I can see a church, bar, strip club and warehouse all along the same street!! haha. Gives you VARIETY! I don't know of any other big city where you can live in a lovely neighborhood w/kids playing in the street and neighbors you know, while simultaneously being in-town. That's GREAT! (I despise developments! Country or City and nothing else matters!)
I do NOT however condone building massive 25-story buildings in a neighborhood that doesn't surpass 6-floor level. They look horrible and destroy the aesthetic beauty and quirkiness of certain areas.
And I leave with something I heard an Italian friend say; which sums up Houston quite beautifully and accurately:
"It's true what they say about Houston: You cry when you get here and you cry when you leave!"

Central Houston is a mess of adult entertainment shops juxtaposed to the swank homes and handful of commercialized villages filled with chain stores. If you step outside the highland villages or rice villages of the city, you are stuck with dilapated buildings. Good luck living even in the wealthiest of neighborhoods - from West U to med center to Galleria - without having crack or sex thrust onto you. In "central houston," you'll see neighborhoods without homeowners associations so the houses have disturbing businesses running out of them. The best located neighborhoods are unsafe and usually abutting some cheap 2 story apartment complex. There is no great place to live in Houston even if you have $1.5 mm to spend. My junior high school was right next door to a chemical plant and I remember evacuating one day because there was a spill at the plant.

I am grateful that I now live in a city where I can enjoy drinks in a swank lounge without facing the glowing lights of the strip joint across the street. I can now shop in mom & pop stores, see water not filled with ships, enjoy a landscape, view a breathtaking skyline, breathe the air, ride metro, and walk from my home to the grocery store or dinner or shops. Houston needs zoning. Desperately. I would consider moving back if it had proper zoning. I know there are other educated, wealthy professionals like me that went east for college/grad school and refuse to return to that mess of a town.

Houston should create zoning areas. Restrict any new business development of a certain nature in certain areas and start to transition out existing businesses to other areas. Let's try to keep all the "massage parlours," strip joints, and adult novelty shops away from residential areas, for a start.

It also needs an expansive metro system (the light rail is just stupid). And it should try to attract businesses that focus on more than just energy or chemicals. Diversify the economic development by offering tax incentives and cheap land. Get financial services companies, for instance. You could start with commodities firms that would consider being near the energy hub.