How does Houston plan without zoning?

[@player3prime]

Fascinating how not being able to have a business (e.g. convenience store or doctor) increases the value. Whereas in Europe having mixed developments increases value.

[@TheSpecialJ11]

Residential property value is more or less dictated by what "Karens" prefer. I bet you if you went very free market, no non-polluting uses barred, the land would end up being worth more as a wide variety of amenities become located close by.

[@1224chrisng]

@@linuxman7777 yeah, I'd imagine a local small business would be a lot more appealing to residents than a big box store

[@Freshbott2]

To nitpick Ii doesn't really increase value. It increases price by constraining supply. Historic American neighbourhoods that have variety and density are expensive. Zoned areas are worthless but when Karens' land Mafia are withholding their diffuse monopoly you take what you're allowed.

[@seneca983]

It depends on the kind of business.

[@mrm7058]

@@linuxman7777 How about regulating how a grocery store in a residential area looks like (or doesn't look like), so they blend in better? Having some businesses (grocery stores, hairdressers, doctors, etc) within a walkable distance is really nice to have.

[@ravenfeeder1892]

Be interesting to compare US planning systems, especially zoning, to other countries like the UK or Germany.

[@thomasawdffaw123]

its pretty similar to germany since german building law was heavily influenced by the US after ww2

[@hamishashcroft3233]

@@thomasawdffaw123 Except german cities are much more walkable, livable and generally just nicer

[@pederpersenfostvedt2900]

There's no zoning in the UK either. There are many ways to set up a planning system really.

[@Futurepointmusic]

@@pederpersenfostvedt2900 but there is land use management, which is basically the same

[@JaredJonesAZ]

It varies a lot. The United States has been very experimental with city development

[@altpersonas]

Me: So Houston, do you have zoning? Houston: Well no, but actually yes

[@CityBeautiful]

Exactly!

[@azan-183]

@Harry Engel Tysons Corner, in Virginia, is one of the largest "edge cities," though I don't think it's at the edge of the DC area.

[@azan-183]

@Harry Engel Tysons is about 15 miles from DC, but the edge of DC in Virginia is skewed to include Loudoun County, because of Dulles Airport. Besides Loudoun, the ring of jurisdictions surrounding DC is the metro area.

[@pragmax]

To add to the conversation here, Tysons is bucking for 'second city' status in Northern Virginia, and has for a while. The addition of multiple rail stops ("Metro"), and a surge of (re)development has really upped the ante in recent years. The region has another more established hub in the form of Reston, which is video-worthy in its own right: it's practically a city that is really just a monster HOA. This made possible by how counties in VA have more power than in other states, making incorporation as a city kind of a moot point. Tysons benefits from the same situation.

[@azan-183]

@@pragmax Oh, Reston is National HOA city LOL! I'm from Maryland (MoCo) and everything is super tightly controlled here, so we're basically an HOA county LOL!

[@jacobwood1707]

Interesting. When looking at Houston's lack of rigid zoning, I can't help but feel like there's opportunity for some really nice urban spaces. It's sad that they ended up looking exactly like every other American city because they could have done something really special with their town.

[@lik7953]

It’s probably cuz the same guys planning zoned us cities planned Houston.

[@skyrockhou6325]

Central Houston actually has a bunch of urban neighborhoods and they’re expanding pretty quickly. It’s becoming walkable albeit in only a fraction of the overall city

[@marchernandez4596]

Grid-based cities can be quite special, just have to look at Barcelona.

[@jacobwood1707]

@@marchernandez4596 only a few cities (NY, Chicago, Philly) are grid based in the US. Everything else in America is sprawl

[@davidfreeman3083]

@@jacobwood1707 Well you actually don't really need a 'grid' to prevent a sprawl. The closest example would be Boston, where all the streets are, in someone's wise words, 'a plate of spaghetti tangled up everywhere' but yet it's a densely populated urban area. And that's despite its draconian zoning regulations & laws (partly thanks to the prime 'downtown' location of the airport, as well as the long, rich history the city has, and one of the only state capitals that's still in their original large cities. For example, Philly & NYC used to be the state/colonial capital of the state/colony of PA, NY respectively but the state government moved out centuries ago) preventing the city from having a nice, expansive skyline like NYC or even Philly.

[@nihouma11]

"Let's compare Houston and Dallas!" Hearing you say that, I shuddered as a native Dallasite living in Houston. There is a hot city rivalry about which is better when the truth is, they are probably more culturally similar than any other major US cities that are not part of the same contiguous urban area

[@290TheEmpireRecords]

Not much of rivalry when it's clear that houston is better

[@mjacobs8139]

It's clear that Dallas is for the stuck up individual and Houston is for those who don't care about their fellow man. Austin is weird. San Antonio is boring. Houston wins by default.

[@290TheEmpireRecords]

@@mjacobs8139 not true let me guess u not from TX and it shows

[@RZFX619]

Grew up between Houston and Dallas, and I prefer H town. It's got more grit! I feel Dallas infrastructure is nicer/cleaner but it seems to be less culturally dynamic. To each their own!

[@joedellinger9437]

Grew up in Dallas. Lived in SF Bay area, Honolulu, Tulsa, and Houston. Dallas and Tulsa are similar... both aspire to be efficient and well run conservative midwestern cities. SF area aspires to be quirky, scientifically managed, and progressive. Houston and Honolulu are chaotic, extemporaneous, and quirky and do not aspire to being tightly centrally managed. Houston has the best race relations of any of the places I have lived! It is proud to call itself the most diverse large city in the USA.

[@Randomadventureswithpaul]

I feel like this is literally the same as when politicians say. "It's not a tax, it's a levy."

[@steemlenn8797]

It's a very important destinction (especially for politician) - at least if it is what is in German: the difference between Steuer (tax) and Abgabe (levy). A tax can be freely used, a levy is for a purpose. So if you have a street building levy you can't build train tracks with it or give money to sport groups or anything else. (theoretically, people can be very inventive)

[@Randomadventureswithpaul]

@@steemlenn8797 You must be on the payroll. Either way I'm an English speaker in Canada, it's a TAX, don't try to BS me with semantics. This is literally why so many detest politicians, double speak jibber jabber... If you take money from people by mandate no matter what you use it for it is plain and simple a tax. The reason politicians desperately want to redefine Levy is simply to make you think it's not tax so they can get your vote again.

[@steemlenn8797]

@@Randomadventureswithpaul Just because your brain is so small (or brainwashed by rightwing extremists it seems) that it can only fit one word does not mean there aren't many. I can think of at least 4 different one, each with it's own meaning, for "taking money with a mandate". btw. in German we have at least 6 words for different uses of "ticket".

[@MrJahka]

Where are you from? Because like no American politician would use the word levy lol

[@Randomadventureswithpaul]

@@steemlenn8797 ​ German and English are two different languages, I know hard to grasp but it's true. And your insults are moot, you might think that throwing vile comments at me matters, but it doesn't, because you don't matter, you are completely and utterly irrelevant to me. Like a spec of dust or an ant. But I wouldn't be throwing that right wing extremists trope around too much if I was you, my GERMAN friend. Last I checked, my people never mass murdered millions of human beings.

[@saxmanb777]

As a Dallasite and former Houstonian, been waiting for this video. I have to admit, Houston has been doing some really great things lately since I left almost 20 years ago.

[@maxmusic5380]

Dallasite? Houstonian?

[@Joe-bs6hd]

@@maxmusic5380 suffixes meaning "a part of" so dallisITE means he's a part of dallas, HoustonIAN is same thing.

[@gretchenpersimmon4162]

"Footage of a Dallas neighborhood enjoying its zoning." There's always some lines in every video that crack me up!

[@Dethflash]

Great video man! I've lived in Houston for almost 2 decades and for the most part Houston is like more big sprawling cities but with an extra focus on neighborhoods. Just out the outside edge of Houston there are a few mega neighborhoods slowly being developed and these new mega neighborhoods are being developed to have commercial zones contained within the neighborhoods and several schools of all grades, you can be in the same neighborhood and grade and still go to a different school. Houston just always continues to grow even in economic hard times things slow down but the growth continues.

[@TheNormal256]

Honestly I’ve seen skyscrapers next to single family houses in places that DO have traditional zoning. For example, New Jersey. The loopholes are a) variances and b) buildings and/or land uses being grandfathered in if they were in existence prior to the adoption of a municipal zoning code.

[@michaelimbesi2314]

Can we get a video on the zoning of the DC area, esp. the difference between DC and VA and MD? It’s a really great example of how zoning in one jurisdiction can affect development of other areas!

[@michaelimbesi2314]

And also of how good mass transit availability can affect growth and urbanization, even in formerly car-centric areas.

[@faridjafari6356]

@@michaelimbesi2314 very good opinion!

[@HoustonGuy]

I've lived in Miami, Dallas, Houston, Austin, New York City (Manhattan) and Bogota. Each city has it's pros/cons but for some reason, I always come back to Houston. Houston (Space City, Bayou City, H-Town, Energy Capital) is an affordable city with unique neighborhoods for every lifestyle/income bracket. I agree, summer (June, July and August) can be hot (you get used to it)...but late September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April and early May are incredible. Thank you @City Beautiful!!!

[@Lighthouse6104]

You’ve got to be joking😂

[@RasmusWitzig]

Interesting. As a german its fascinating to see how zoning impacts life. For me actually Houston is a Great example of bad zoning! I live in Hamburg (northern Germany). Hamburg and Houston have nearly the same population (Both about 2 million people). But Houston is much bigger. Its good to see on Google Maps/Earth. Personally i like northern, east american cities. They often are good for pedestrians.

[@madmarscha]

Yep, my high school was directly across the street from a cow pasture in the suburbs

[@csmlyly5736]

Sounds like a normal, healthy, growing Texas suburban bubble of course.

[@ClementinesmWTF]

Oh hey! I see you also went to Spring-Klein-Cy-Katy-Woodlands High School! Howdy neighbor

[@Zachomara]

That was my school, and the pasture was next to a dairy plant, although I am neither from Texas nor from a city...

[@starventure]

@@csmlyly5736 You can pet a cow.

[@Gadottinho]

@@csmlyly5736 so schools cant exist in small neighbourhoods? lmao

[@jessejones7251]

As a native Houstonian all my life, I can tell you there is definitely big income segregation, this is probably one of least walkable cities in the least walkable continent, and is monstrously suburban. Like, the sprawl just goes on and on forever. The lack of zoning I feel is more a technicality than something significant. It's the same planners asserting the same level of control on construction, just rearranged with different systems. I would like to know, since "Houston" is actually like a dozen or more cities like Katy, Cypress, Sugarland, etc. do THEY have zoning?

[@DavidLopez-rk6em]

Houston is the most overrated city ever. Its mostly suburban sprawl. Im from LA and I think a lot of LA is overrated too cuz its a lot of it is sprawl as well. Imagine if someone from one of the great European cities visits Houston. What are they supposed to do? Have an uber drive you around suburbia? Visit the shittiest downtown in the country? Take an uber to a restaurant? If you like living in suburbia thats fine. I just dont see how americans are fine with calling endless suburban sprawl a city.

[@timbowalk14]

I live in cypress. The only real representation we have is the State Government and our congresswoman. We are not under the city of houston. We have no mayor. Very strange situation

[@duanebidoux6087]

Houston parks and open recreational spaces are not only some of the best in the US, after travelling all over the country and living in Houston for over 30 years I would tell you they are THE BEST recreational spaces and parks of any city in the country. Go check out the drone videos. You will be surprised.

[@duanebidoux6087]

@@DavidLopez-rk6em The sprawl is a result of the population coupled with the fact that all of the livable and walkable parts of town (Montrose, Midtown, Village, West U, Heights, River Oaks, Uptown) are extremely unaffordable.

[@duanebidoux6087]

@@DavidLopez-rk6em There are actually only 2 million people in Houston and about 4 to 5 million living in areas that have nothing to do with the subject of the video because they are outside of the city limits.

[@marcv2648]

I grew up in Houston. I remember people complaining about no zoning back in the 70s. It has made zero difference. I take that back. The development and flow is very similar to other southern cities that grew in the latter half of the 20th century, but it has probably made Houston more affordable than almost any other city with such massive growth.

[@robertbonds6680]

Fascinating

[@caylonmustiful9746]

Thank you. I grew up in Arkansas and wondered why some towns had homes for $250,000 while other towns had the same resources but cheaper homes. Zoning laws affect homes more then businesses. Houston combated that buy by allowing more of there land

[@marcv2648]

@@caylonmustiful9746 Zoning makes real estate more expensive for everyone. You also have to remember that it is essentially an arbitrary decision that favors some specific interest over other interests. In some sense, it is similar to concept of price controls in economics. Over the long term, this hurts everyone.

[@duanebidoux6087]

I've lived in Houston since 1989. While average housing prices are affordable, I feel it important to recommend they are not affordable in those parts of the city that actually have "walkable" neighborhoods. This is why it remains a car city. Move inside 610 and you're likely to find housing prices start approaching other big cities.

[@Ty_Cunningham]

As a Texan native you did a great job!

[@kebabson3797]

Why are you here watching a democrat go watch a donald trump speech as a proper texan native.

[@planefan082]

@@kebabson3797 I hate all the years past 2016 because I can no longer tell whether or not comments like these are sarcastic

[@davidcazares7441]

@@kebabson3797 Is this supposed to be funny? Screw off Kevin

[@GhostOfAMachine]

@Kevin dont bring politics into this

[@RasmusWitzig]

Houston is a Great example of bad zoning! I live in Germany, in Hamburg. Hamburg and Houston have nearly the same population. But Houston is much bigger. Its good to see on Google Maps/Earth.

[@R_V_]

7:55 Housing isn't made cheaper because "less regulatory red tape" means less unproductive development costs. Housing is made cheaper because more freedom to build (not total freedom, but just a bit more) means more possibilities, more alternatives to build this or that, to build here or there. Hence more real estate supply and abundance, hence lower building costs.

[@JoelRipke]

Neat video. Thanks for laying out some of the things that make Houston's city planning unique!

[@gj1234567899999]

The free market works without zoning because a developer isn’t going to spend a million dollars building a gas station on a quiet residential street, they would put it in a busy commercial area. You wouldn’t build a factory in a residential neighborhood which has narrow streets, small expensive lots, and no direct access to rail or highway, so you put it on the outskirts of town where there’s more space and land is cheaper. Likewise if you build a residence in an area surrounded by industrial the house won’t sell. Even without zoning, commercial businesses will be built next to other commercial businesses, residences next to other resides and so forth.

[@franciszekbordon1099]

„In cities with zoning, everyone gets the comfort of knowing that their neighbour won’t turn their house into a bar” hahaha hearing this from a European perspective is hilarious, I would probably go nuts without a pharmacy, a bar or even a small store next to me

[@ASDFCH]

Thank you for making this video! I've always wanted to better understand the land use laws of Houston.

[@Jinnitaur]

Thank you for making this video. I have shared it with those who balk at the idea of us not having zoning, most often posting it on Nextdoor (where they seem to need the most education). I have seen other videos about our lack of zoning, but I think you did the best job of explaining it, and in a way most people can understand. Great job! 👍🙂

[@sarcasmo57]

Feeling cute.. might de-zone my city.

[@maka8551]

@@ContentConfessional OwO

[@CatholicWeeb]

@@maka8551 OwU ~❤️

[@maka8551]

@@CatholicWeeb ❤❤

[@MrCaseHarts]

I am from Houston. Its interesting but after living their most of my life and now visited nearly 50 countries living in many. Its an awful terrible plan for a city. I do not blame anyone for it, I don't think anyone knew what Houston would become. But car oriented, poorly planned chaotic is not a great thing. Im not all doom, and gloom, I love houston. Its a unique experience and a beautiful place with wonderful culture and food etc. But damn, after living in spain/Portugal and Japan. My fucking goodness we need some work. Loved your break down though, Just really wish planners would start moving the city away from cars and actually make it walkable. I can tell you now, its not a remotely walkable city and quite dangerous.

[@joonkwon9303]

Driving there is also dangerous. Aggressive drivers all over the city even with its best highway systems.

[@evannibbe9375]

Just hear me out: start the development of a city with no zoning restrictions, and instead have just restrictions like: congestion taxes on cars, and noise violation fines that are proportional to both the number of decibels over 60 and to the number of people living within .5 miles of where the sound goes off, and fines based on the smell of pollution anyone creates (both car and factory pollution) proportional to the income of the polluter. This way, you still get skyscrapers and mixed-use high density residential areas that you can walk to the grocery store and school, but you avoid the problems specific to having factories next to schools, and you can avoid (through those car taxes and noise violation fines) becoming a car-dominated area.

[@eden20111]

As a Houston native, I’m impressed it’s grown so much. They turned rundown neighborhoods by adding parks and modern apartments and townhomes. Memorial City area literally grew into its own mini city. CityCentre is a mini version of Rodeo drive. I use to work at the Town & Country Mall years ago, and to see it to turn into what it is today is quite marvelous.

[@MrCaseHarts]

@@eden20111 it doesn't serve the majority of its citizens well. Compare it to any large asian city and its embarrassing. While its impressive but there's no reason it should sprawl and be so car oriented anymore.

[@theromanorder]

1:15 whats zoning 2:15 hustion vs dalis Suburb ordanince (property devodment 2:53 deed restrictions (contrpls what happen) city comtrols 4:00 Houston, simmaler to zoning system 4:54 parking, and more "zoning" 5:40 dalius zoning 5:55 dalius vs houstion comparison 6:52 zoning exclusion 7:19 property deed restrictions/ benefits 7:50 city pricing

[@ajayshah1242]

Me being a former Houstonian, I grew up in a wealthy neighborhood in a house less than half a block away from a store that sold alcohol which always creeped me out. My area was a five minute walk from one of the most dangerous part of Houston, Sharpstown. However, I didn't know about Houston not having a zoning code until I was in 7th Grade.

[@paxundpeace9970]

Take away: they use other regulations to achieve zooning. House prices are quite the same compared to other big texan cities.

[@JaredJonesAZ]

For example, the parking requirements forced Houston to sprawl and to have a city center that is pitiable for the fourth largest city in America

[@paxundpeace9970]

@@JaredJonesAZ is it so different? Is the sprawl worse then in other cities?

[@JaredJonesAZ]

@@paxundpeace9970 indeed it is. Houston is the fifth largest metro area in the nation, however the metro area is ranked 25th amongst America's most densely populated metro areas.

[@JaredJonesAZ]

In other words, Houston has half the density of my hometown Philadelphia. While sprawl is a subjective term, I think of cities with a high amount of sprawl as having a population density of less than 1,000 people per square mile in the metro area.

[@paxundpeace9970]

@@JaredJonesAZ thanks that are the kind of facts i did want to hear.

[@fontourinha]

"How does Houston plan without zoning?" Me, an urban planner: "Oh boy, that was planned??????"

[@ClementinesmWTF]

Can you really call yourself an urban planner if you actually think that? I’d hope you’d at least have heard of the Houston-based Rice Kinder Institute that is a leading authority/source of Urban Planning and Design...

[@Ash_Lawless]

you call yourself a "planner" in north america? LOL. you want to see urban planning look at the nertherlands. pretty sure all planners in north america are braindead fucks that go out of their way to make sure its nearly impossible to live life without owning a car.

[@ClementinesmWTF]

@WorldFlex try reading again, this time without trying to put words in my mouth...it’s no wonder people like you can’t be taken seriously with how poor your reading comprehension is

[@ClementinesmWTF]

@WorldFlex mmmmm yes. Very intelligent you are. I can totally tell you can completely, actually, 💯% read now. Good try, bb. Try again

[@fontourinha]

@@Ash_Lawless if this anwser was for me, I'm not from North America, my man. But I largely agree with your statement, united-statians planners in general can cross the barrier of car-dependency, but we can't take off the credit of those who are at least trying to do something... The lack of basic infrastructure in the richest country on earth is something that doesn't make sense to me at all

[@orsonstarbuck]

So they get the title of being business friendly with no zoning while still regulating as much as Dallas. Smart.

[@whitechiliHD]

An interesting area to explore is the actual monthly cost of homeowner being a major driver behind lower median home prices in places like Houston. Houston has considerably higher insurance costs and property taxes compared to other regions deemed "expensive" such as California. In order to offset these higher costs, the median sale price of homes is most likely depressed. Its an interesting idea to explore how much of the reduced median sale price is due to these higher cost factors vs government policies.

[@robertbonds6680]

Well actually California is more expensive fyi

[@caylonmustiful9746]

Also texas doesn't have a state income tax. It taxes on consumption which is fair and when you turn 65, you pay no property tax

[@Tink192]

8:05 “In Texas only Austin’s median housing prices are approaching coastal levels.” That’s because all the costal people are moving there.

[@curtisbadio8836]

I’ve been waiting so long for you to post another video.

[@CityBeautiful]

I've been posting every other week for months! haha

[@LordManhattan]

@@CityBeautiful Covid lockdown has done some weird things to Curtis' time perception. You probably haven't posted in YEARS according to him.

[@faridjafari6356]

@@CityBeautiful Your videos are very useful and informative.

[@mickyjagah]

Me after watching this video. "You know, I'm somewhat of a city planner myself."

[@ARTiculations]

I’m so happy to not be the only person to nerd out about zoning. Lol.

[@renegomez3061]

Houston is one of the top cities for public parks,and bike lanes. It is about 5 to 10 years away from the 3rd largest city (not metro area) in the u.s. Dallas has been at 9th or 10th for some time.

[@iammrbeat]

So Carl from Up didn't live in Houston? 🙂

[@lawrencekumar293]

@Mr. Beat, I was always told the Up city. was modeled after Oakland, CA. Carl’s house looks visually similar to the detached Victorians, which are abundant throughout Oakland. The movie also concludes with the characters getting ice cream from Fentons, an Oakland institution located on Piedmont Avenue.

[@KrishnaDasLessons]

@@lawrencekumar293 Pixar is headquartered in Emeryville so that is not surprising.

[@MariaNicolae]

Up is NIMBY propaganda, change my mind (half-joking).

[@dvoicer6785]

Looks like a lot of people in the comments haven't watched the video lol. Also, I would like to point out that like a quarter of Houston is flooded every other year at this point, so that probably has an effect on median housing prices.

[@JaredJonesAZ]

What a massive mistake to have subdivisions work out their own flood control independently. Houston's biggest problem is every time it rains nobody knows exactly where the water flow will go. I have completely written off Houston as a city I'd ever live in simply for the fact that it floods catastrophically constantly.

[@samuellancaster6487]

@@JaredJonesAZ Doesn't help that they literally lost the plans to their sewer system, ie they don't actually know where the pipes are until they break.

[@JaredJonesAZ]

@@samuellancaster6487 I hadn't heard about that. Even still, sewers are only one way to mitigate a flooding event. Watershed drainage, flow, retention and other aspects of hydrology are all critical to a place that gets occasional torrential flooding. I know this from living in Phoenix where people driving to work drowned in their cars on the I-10 right in the heart of the city because a few inches of rain fell within 1 hour.

[@MrAronymous]

They could do with a stricter flood zone ordinance...

[@ClementinesmWTF]

@@JaredJonesAZ I agree that more needs to be done, but Houston does actually have many flood-mitigation tactics. From the drainage canals all over the city to the flood districts constantly being constructed and improved to the reservoirs on the west side. There is much more to be done, especially with curbing the suburban sprawl, but it’s not a complete write-off like you’re making it seem

[@elizabethdavis1696]

I’ve never heard of a transit corridor before could you please do a video on that topic?

[@maknyc1539]

Yas

[@aerob1033]

As a lifelong Houstonian: Poorly. Snark aside, nice video. I think Houston is actually a great illustration of how it's important for urbanism advocates and urban planners to not focus *too* much on eliminating single-family zoning. That's an important step in the process of making cities more dense, walkable, and transit-oriented, but there are an array of other codes that are used to mandate automobile-centric sprawl which also must be addressed, and Houston has most of 'em in spades.

[@nunziocicone9556]

I don't know what polls you are reading. Lots and lots of people love dense, walkable areas. Not everyone of course, but no one is saying the suburbs shouldn't exist at all.

[@aerob1033]

@@EvsEntps Sprawling suburban neighborhoods aren't going anywhere, there are loads of them and loads more are being built as we speak. Those of us who advocate for dense urbanism are mostly just asking for urban forms of living not to be outright banned the way they are in many (if not most) neighborhoods in large US cities.

[@davidking8472]

@@EvsEntps people wouldn’t like suburban living that much if they actually had to pay for its negative externalities

[@qjtvaddict]

@@EvsEntps that’s due to brainwashing

[@qjtvaddict]

@@EvsEntps the high cost of infrastructure without subsidies from cities

[@shannonlove4328]

Some thoughts: Houston is America’s most diverse city over taking New York in the last decade. Houston feels more like a cluster of small towns than a major city. In some cases, this is literally true because small towns engulfed by Houston, retrain much of their primal town government. Once visited a very upscale condo development in Houston ie Mercedes and Porschs in every garage. Right next to the development was a dairy’s truck yard where big delivery trucks would start up every morning at 5:30am. Not simmering you’d experience anywhere else.

[@quintont.monroe7642]

I can name the most of the suburbs: Pearland-Manvel Stafford-Sugar Land-Richmond Cinco Ranch-Katy Cypress Tomball Spring-The Woodlands-Conroe Humble-New Caney Channelview-Baytown Crosby Pasadena-La Porte Webster-League City

[@GlassofJ]

Life-long Houstonian here. I love my city, and I’ve always wanted to learn more about why we don’t have zoning laws/if it really matters that much. It is strange sometimes to see a warehouse right next to a school, right next to a bar, etc. But one thing I think is nice is the way Houston’s neighborhoods are incredibly diverse. I imagine the lack of zoning laws has something to do with that. Although gentrification is happening in spades, which is an unfortunate side-effect of being such a strong, and growing economy.

[@DiegoMonroyF]

I've been living in Houston for 6 months and indeed one of the things that surprises me a lot is how diverse the city feels with regards to residence. I liked the video but I would've preferred a more thorough answer to the question on the house prices and diversity of residents. Also, one wonderful thing is the diversity in architecture. I remember visiting LA and thinking that everything was the same. In Houston, aside from the typical suburbs, I see a great variety of buildings. I especially like the Levy Park area, which completely surprised me on how "contemporary European" it looked compared to anything else I've seen in the US.

[@joedellinger9437]

I am highly suspicious that the lack of zoning is a big part of the reason Houston has so many incredibly ethnically diverse yet harmonious neighborhoods. I think Zoning is often misused as a way to “keep the wrong people out”. I like to take visitors down a short stretch of highway 6 where you have... biker bars, an upscale retirement community, used car lots, an army corps of engineer office, porn shops, a fancy Indian wedding dress boutique, a palm reader shop, a fancy neighborhood where everyone has horses in their huge yards, an all you can eat Louisiana crawfish place, a Baptist church, ... well you get the idea.

[@rewanthr]

I was looking for this video!!!!

[@LordManhattan]

Happy you found it so soon! Did you use an Apple AirTag?

[@AnUndivine]

One advantage I could see with this strategy is just being able to do what you want with your home. I know a few people in my area who make money out of their garage. One was lucky enough to be in an area that allows for "home industry," and so he can build a welding shop in his back yard. But the process of getting approval is a pain. For some reason, he's not allowed to have a bathroom in it.

[@faridjafari6356]

You mean they can make a factory in their home yard but they cant have a bathroom? So where are the workers supposed to p....? :)

[@Default78334]

@@faridjafari6356 Presumably in the house. My suspicion is that the zoning is intended to allow owner-operator type businesses to run out of an otherwise residential property, but not allow them to run a type of business that would need more than one or two workers.

[@TheCowardRobertFord]

As a non-American, I have to say this idea that there are places where you can only build housing, without even be able to build a market, a bakery or a cinema nearby is just bizarre.

[@Zachomara]

As an American, one of the cities I was in (Watertown, NY) spent almost a decade getting approval for a single block of mixed used renovations. It wasn't even construction. Yes, it's both bizarre and ridiculous, but there are so many people who will be either NIMBY or straight up apocalyptic industrialist that I'm assuming that's why they did that. I still think the zoning restrictions like that are stupid, though.

[@starventure]

If you have a bakery or cinema around the corner from you, that means you probably also have a “problem” nearby also. The whole point of the suburbs is refuge from exactly that. Americans tried the whole “walk to everything” garbage long ago and quickly learned that it was a bad idea.

[@Zachomara]

@@starventure Apparently half the country being rural is a problem too. (it's not) The car system in the US is not exactly a major issue. There's a concept of structured inefficiency that actually adds to the economic output of an area, including adding jobs that otherwise wouldn't be there. This causes more jobs and wealth in the country, while increasing living space, distance to travel, and upfront costs of living. The greatest benefit this has is the long term drop in the costs of living because people will buy rather than rent a cheap, tiny, outdated apartment. However having walkways that allow for pedestrians and cyclists to get somewhere is not a bad idea. The areas that have these have been proven to raise property values, especially when coupled with a forested park.

[@starventure]

@@Zachomara I agree with what you have said, but the elephant in the equation still stands. People can code talk it any way they wish, but it still comes down to the fact that people move to the suburbs not just because they may like the nature and isolation, but because they are also aware of the cities being undesirable places to live with undesirable people constantly around them.

[@Zachomara]

@@starventure As someone from a rural area who's lived in cities, I completely agree with that statement. Unfortunately many of the city dwellers who are from the larger cities don't realize how much better it can be outside the city, especially quality of life. Sure, there's less amenities, but it's made up for by being left alone to your own devices for the most part.

[@KingAsa5]

If only cities planned like Tokyo. I've never seen such a well Planned and Clean city like Tokyo before. Its truly a Model Megacity

[@K.B.Williams]

Chicago is well planned.

[@KingAsa5]

@@K.B.Williams But not as planned as Tokyo. Tokyo has a More cleaner and efficient public transit and Has terrain that's elevated above the city for high ground. Suburban Chicago has thin sidewalks and not to mention Chicago has Ghettos and Hoods leaving many residents impoverished. But as for the US..chicago is indeed well planned. And has quite a dense urban center

[@name4601]

@@KingAsa5 A lot of it is also Japan's culture and respect towards others and their environment.

[@TheSharkasmCrew]

@@name4601 Definitely. Planning does nothing to address poverty or certain negative cultural customs. Tokyo is by no means perfect either, it's far too sprawling and large.

[@name4601]

@@TheSharkasmCrew Well, it has over 30 million people living in it so it makes sense it being so large and sprawling. If you compare it to LA you'll see that LA is by far worse when it comes to density and sprawl.

[@tytipton6346]

When I lived in Houston more than 10yrs ago, almost every house in the neighborhood behind Rice U had yard signs saying they didn’t want a high rise condo built in the neighborhood. I get it now. They didn’t want all the traffic in the quiet neighborhood. I wonder if they got it built. I’m sure that neighborhood is FULL of lawyers that could’ve kept that project tied up.

[@matrixstuff3512]

Those signs are stilll there, and there's still an empyu lot where that midrise was supposed to go.

[@tytipton6346]

@@matrixstuff3512 thanks for the update!

[@NattyA]

exciting to see my university in a City Beautiful video !!!

[@nothingbutblue6387]

Thank you for linking sources in your descriptions! I'm still working my way through source info from the train video 😁

[@jKLa]

The one huge difference Houston's lack of Zoning does make compared to other US cities, is that not only does Houston have above average mixed use neighborhoods, but unlike other US cities, Houston's mixed use areas are often mostly residential but with frequent stores, restaurants, and a diverse veriety of home based businesses!

[@omghello9389]

It's zoning without the famous zoning map. It's zoning on a bigger scale. Great video!!

[@josephlaws5678]

This is a really good video! Thank you for making this!

[@piotrrywczak]

0:44 I absolutely love city skylines like this one.Mesmerizing From afar. Different continent is enough.

[@czenkusm]

I left the city and never looked back. I now live 70 miles from the closest town. Deep in the Hiawatha national forest. Huge 100+ acre lot. Love it so much. Still have high speed internet and all the stuff I need.

[@MythosGandaar]

I lived in Houston for a while and I actually really miss it. I like being closer to friends and family, but I really prefer the built environment of Houston compared to my hometown. Having a light rail and bus stops within biking distance of my $700/mo apartment was amazing. (Bus stop was walking distance, I didn't have to ask any favors or pay an Uber to get to the airport) These days I live in an RV in Florida and pay between $600-900 a month just for LAND to park it on. Lmao

[@ClementinesmWTF]

So many people in the comments section seem to not even have watched the video smh. Good video tho! Wish you had shown more shots than either just downtown or the far suburbs. There are other business districts in Houston that are amazing as well and really show off how Houston’s different regulation system has affected the city; from Uptown/Galleria to the Medical Center to Midtown to the Energy Corridor to Greenspoint. Not everything in Houston is either Downtown or the sprawling suburbs

[@TS_Mind_Swept]

I'm not a city planner and I don't plan to be one, but what's behind how different places are done has fascinated me for years (plus it's a "the more you know" scenario)

[@steverogers8163]

so in short Huston just calls their zoning rules, ordinances. The real question is probably how much more/less restrictive are those ordinances from other cities, if at all? Or is Houston just benefiting from the fact it can still expand in all directions into new empty land. While most coastal cities have consumed all their open land so the only option left is to upzone their properties.

[@therealaustinblount]

Fun fact: Dallas doesn’t have an airport ordinance because while they share ownership of DFW airport with Ft. Worth, it’s actually well outside the city limits of either.

[@StylistecS]

what about love field?

[@johnwang9914]

Some of the hidden bars and restaurants in a former residential home in Houston are quite charming.

[@Arjay404]

I like the standards for the transit corridor in Houston. A developer can choose to not opt into it, but then they lose out on some benefits, but if they opt in they get those. I would imagine that this allows for a mix of development where certain developers think that the benefits are worth it but where others think it doesn't, which allows for the city to be a bit more varied. I think a system like this along with loosening zoning restrictions is a good compromise.

[@KarolaTea]

Those deed regulations sound a lot like zoning? Also, couldn't you have zoning AND mixed developement? Like, just allow small businesses in residential areas in the use table for example?

[@lawrencekumar293]

@KarolaTea, they’re both operationally similar, the only difference is in who imposes them. Zoning is done by the government, whereas deed restrictions are private agreements set by a coalition of homeowners, most often the HOA for that neighborhood. Once the initial “class” of homeowners set the agreement in place, the restriction is binding upon all future purchasers of that neighborhood.

[@KarolaTea]

Yeah, except for in the case of Houston it's also the gov setting the deed restrictions (if I understood the video correctly).

[@lawrencekumar293]

@@KarolaTea At 2:57, the video states that deed restrictions are "instituted at the subdivision process." What this means is that the developer will set rules, and future purchasers will be bound by them. If anyone thinks a particular owner is disobeying the rules, they will sue in court, and the court will order the nonconforming owner to correct themself. As City Beautiful says in 3:29, what's unique about Houston is that the City will file such lawsuits, which normally in most cities, the cities leave to private individuals, to take care of. Long story short: the city only involves itself at the enforcement stage, and doesn't set the restrictions themselves. Under zoning, on the other hand, the city is involved from start to finish.

[@KarolaTea]

Ohhhh, right, got that mixed up. Thanks for the explanation :)

[@lawrencekumar293]

​@@KarolaTea Glad I could help. Fortunately, I'm a law student, so I know my way around deed restrictions and zoning. But it's a challenging topic, even for lawyers.

[@Frederick0220]

What town is that at 7:23? Sugar Land? The Woodlands? Looks beautiful

[@tammiethaggard1855]

Coastal houses in los angeles are 2 million or more and that's Venice Beach or Redondo Beach in malibu a Coastal house is at least 5 million or more

[@JLR-z8u]

Oh no!! Don’t tell them about our cheap housing!!!! I just bought a townhome just south of downtown Houston with a skyline view for 264K. Friends from California laughed at the prices when I first told them, then they were shocked and awed.

[@alfredolumba7936]

I bought a home museum district with rooftop views of downtown and medical for 330k I had friends in nyc who paid just that much just to still be New Yorkers...on the edge of queens-_-

[@CreepyBlackDude]

I just rented an apartment in Austin that has me thinking maybe I can brave the mosquitos and sauna-like summers of Houston again...

[@honkhonk8009]

Bro what. 264k??? Here in canada, you get traphouses that cost 800k.

[@GhostOfAMachine]

264k? Can't find a shack here in Austin for under 400k

[@Ivandor12]

4:30 wow I've never seen a tram go over a fountain before. That's cool!

[@joedellinger9437]

Fountains shut off as tram goes by!

[@stefanvanveenendaal5741]

In South Africa, deed restrictions are becoming less popular, especially as we've adopted zoning scheme across the country where development parameters are specified. Restrictive conditions are a pain to remove from a title deed, so we prefer to take them out, avoid them and use the zoning scheme and conditions of subdivision to control how land is developed. Most South African municipalities have a zoning scheme (map and development parameters) that include all the development parameters, including parking and side spaces etc. The zoning is then also used to implement the spatial development framework, which is more like the macro-scale master plan for the municipality.

[@davidlenhart1743]

This a great video to go along with Nolan Grey's paper on Houston’s 1998 Subdivision Reform

[@linuxman7777]

In the US we seem to have become so obsessed with Use based zoning, but form based zoning is just as good at preventing incompatible buildings from being put in certain places, If our zoning cared more about how buildings looked, instead of what they are being used for, we could make great strides towards walkability

[@AlohaBiatch]

Fantastic video! To all the wannabe libertarians out there praising dallas for its free market. Its still allowing free highways and other massively expensive infra+ parking minimums means cars are insanely subsidized. Once you stop giving so many free handouts to cars, you will find transit and walking etc... Become soooo much more enticing. Look to Japan for the solution. They have a true free market for parking in that its up to you to pay the market land value and install parking space on your property. There is no cheap street parking. Same with urban highways, which charge tolls that pay for 100% of the construction. That is as close to a true Free Market as tt gets, and guess what? It naturally leads to public transportation and walkable neighborhoods to thrive 😉 Would love a Japan related video from you one day. There is lots of interesting urban planning stuff there!

[@HipyoTech]

New video idea: Which city sprawls the least?

[@kmaher1424]

I think the Metroplex has more little cities around the big ones. Houston annexes...

[@Zachomara]

Singapore or Hong Kong, I'd say. (Mainly because they can't) Monaco may also be a contender, but they have a low population.

[@snarkylive]

@@kmaher1424 That doesn't mean anything, the metroplex is a sea of urban sprawl single story structures.

[@ohmyboo97]

As someone who lives in Houston, I'd like to point out an area that perfectly illustrates the lack of zoning. All within a block of each other, along highway 59, you can find 1) a hospital/mini medical center 2) a university 3) a funeral home 4) a daycare center 5) apartments. The funeral home and daycare center are RIGHT next to each other

[@rossedwardmiller]

Houston seems like one of those places that sucks to get around, but has nice ppl and good food.

[@s.u.n.t.a.n6573]

You should do a video comparing zoning and development in North America and Europe.

[@3618499]

😯" ALL OVER THE PLACE!.... Houston's zoning or lack thereof is so typical of Sunbelt boomtowns. The vast majority being more or less just sprawling clusters of highrise office parks, amidst vast highway networks, with a scattered mixture of commercial and mixed-scale residential. Los Angeles, Atlanta, and several other similar meccas aren't much different. Every time I'm tempted to relocate to such popular locales from the seemingly ever-shrinking Midwest, I'm often reminded of their auto-oriented dependence and limited walkability. "

[@joaomoraes8644]

I live in São Paulo, which doesn't have rigid zoning restrictions. My house is a 15 minute walk away from a supermarket

[@GabrielTopolog]

Excellent as always!

[@jameshou7911]

8:10 LoL Austin. If you don't have at least a 6 figure job don't move here. Even if you're willing to commute 1 hour+ form nearby town what about school districts for your kid? Moved here in 2019 and before we has a chance to buy a house the price went skyrocket and now we live in this shitty 1000sqft condo.

[@Basta11]

Minimum parking requirements are still there which means low density development, 10 lane highways, big box stores, malls and other buildings surrounded by parking.

[@StylistecS]

That is the number 1 thing that Houston needs to lift. There is talk of doing so by 2030. But they are reluctant to doing so. Next are the setbacks but I think the minimum parking elimination would fix that. They have already eliminated them in Downtown, East Downtown and portions of Midtown.

[@Basta11]

@@StylistecS the 1 thing almost all cities should eliminate (in terms of land use)

[@aleki7639]

Urban planning is so different from here in France, which all is “well ordered”, in the right case, but sometimes with great surprises.. ahah.

[@TheSullie1]

The reason why Houston has such cheap housing is just the fact that Houston has a development strategy of just continually eating up the prairie that surrounds it, and engaging in perpetual sprawl. The Houston metro area is 3/4 of the size of the NYC metro area but only has 7 million people in it, not even the population of the five boroughs.

[@mjacobs8139]

RIP to all the forests that previously covered the Houston area.

[@TheSullie1]

@@mjacobs8139 more like prairie grass. This is also why flooding is getting so bad in houston

[@seamusc3]

I have only lived in in the mid Atlantic (NJ, DE, PA, VA, MD) and have spent some time in Germany. I found Houston to be a bit disorienting due to the lack of zoning and was surprised by how large it is. I mean the drive from the airport to downtown even with 6 lanes takes a good drive (~25 miles). All in all it’s a cool place but the lack of zoning makes it distinct

[@dan_air_houston]

Houston: we have no zoning.! Monterrey, Mexico: that's cute.! The Houstonian in me is still like "we have too much regulations" I'm from Monterrey but lived in Houston for a while and Houston is indeed a lot like that. No zoning but plenty of regulations. Meanwhile Monterrey (and a lot of places in mexico) that kinda have regulations like Houston but at least in Monterrey we don't give a damn and build whatever the hell we want. A store next to a house next to a construction company, a factory in the middle of a residential area. I still love that if you demolish something you can basically build anything which makes it easier to densify the city and in my opinion may eventually make it a more walkable city.

[@Kamyu03]

That used to be the case but zoning has been gaining steam in Monterrey in the last few years with Distrito Tec, now the Medical city as well.

[@tann_man]

Crazy hearing "Houston median home price is under 200k" from a video 3yrs ago. It's double that now.

[@weenisw]

Their housing is cheaper because of more sprawling development and gov subsidy of record widest highways. This will eventually catch up with them because they’ve eaten up all their greenfields and locked themselves into massive maintenance requirements (see Strong Towns). There’s also the issue of hurricanes and flooding. They built a lot on land which should not be developed. This already bit them hard a few years ago. It’s only a matter of time before it happens again. Climate change will increase the frequency and severity of these disasters.

[@graham1034]

I know it isn't the focus of the video but it's just hard to get past the idea of a house being available for so cheap. Even in the LA comparison I was amazed to hear that an average house is only $750k.

[@TheSpecialJ11]

A big part of it is land value and supply and demand. When land and construction costs are cheap, housing can be much cheaper. Housing can remain cheaper because Houston can keep sprawling into the countryside. This reduces demand on housing closer to the center of the city, so while still expensive, it isn't across the board crazy expensive. Most of Texas also has way less administrative and regulative burdens on construction, lowering costs. (with some expensive externalities some might point out.) Compare this to L.A. which has completely run out of room to sprawl and needs to either grow upwards or continue to face a housing shortage. When housing does get built, it's subject to all sorts of requirements and regulations that increase building costs.

[@tim..indeed]

As someone living in a dense city in Europe, this city just seems like a big nightmare. 50% of land is highways or parking lots. You can't get anywhere without a car. What are bikelanes? In Suburbia every house looks the same and is unreachable without a car. Everything is grey. I really wouldn't want to live there.

[@subwooferbone]

Houston traffic is just relentless. Since you can't get anywhere without a car the amount of traffic is off the charts 24/7. It takes 50 minutes to get anywhere in Houston, quote a Houstonian I know.

[@AbdulMunimKazia]

TL;DR: they have different rules and regulations which achieve the same results. The lack of "zoning" is just a technicality when it comes to paperwork.

[@Oldiesyoungies]

i found the best way to eliminate housing shortage, fyi, no one will ever be in favor of it. all zoning is allowed to be residential. you can limit commercial and industrial as much as you want. I.E. people can live in strip malls, but strip malls can't reside in apartment buildings

[@arctic_jake]

Me being from Houston knowing we have 4 cities that being the medical center, downtown, the galleria and, the woodlands

[@samuelcalkin3516]

and guns point

[@gerardojasso9259]

and memorial city

[@HoustonGuy]

Yes...Downtown, TX Med Ctr., Galleria/Uptown and The Woodlands each have their own "skyline". Btw, Memorial City and Greenway Plaza are also constructing lots of high-rises.

[@ClementinesmWTF]

And Greenspoint and Memorial and Willowbrook/Tomball and the Energy Corridor and Midtown and Greenway Plaza (30mi from Greenspoint)? Are you sure you’re from Houston after excluding so many other skylines and business districts? What a shame.

[@arctic_jake]

@@ClementinesmWTF girl bye there too many

[@alexmaingi9327]

Interesting to learn how Houston plans without zoning

[@jholotanbest2688]

I also don't understand how having business near a residential building is a bad thing. There are exceptions like bars and polluting industry but I would be happy or at least indifferent to having most businesses next to my house.

[@Zachomara]

I've never figured out where cities got the idea of zoning anything that didn't make a lot of noise pollution. I mean why regulate barbers' locations, artisan anything, or tutoring centers. I mean, some areas in NYS you can't even put a daycare center in a residential neighborhood.

[@snarkylive]

Parking.

[@danielkelly2210]

Americans in general just don't like it. It seems weird and old-fashioned, and maybe a tad foreign to them.

[@bensaret]

I’m curious if Cityscapes allows you to set a city without zoning restrictions 🤔

[@jinqiankanqi3651]

Search Jakarta in google maps, thats one of the city that goes terribly distopian due to poor zoning enforcement.

[@Zachomara]

@@jinqiankanqi3651 I thought that was just because of their road system. Is the zoning enforcement that bad too?

[@jinqiankanqi3651]

@@Zachomara I mean, people used to build anything anywhere

[@evannibbe9375]

@@jinqiankanqi3651 Technically, allowing people to build anything anywhere allows for the great economic growth that can allow people to survive on low salaries (since they aren’t having their income eaten up with rent, and there’s no way to gentrify the city).

[@nunyabidness3075]

Overall a good video, but very misleading for a few reasons. 1. Houston does almost nothing to enforce deed restrictions. The only regular activity they do is to force HOA sign off before issuing a permit. If there is not an active HOA, the owner can almost always move ahead with no problem. There are many deed restricted communities with no active HOA. My friend built his store in one despite the restrictions. The city/county/state treated him as if he wasn’t violating any deed restrictions. They harassed him all sorts of stupid, bureaucratic ways, but ignored the covenants on file. 2. HOA’s vary greatly in what they allow. Only members have input. Changes are VERY, VERY hard to make. Many HOAs have almost no actual power to enforce restrictions or even collect dues. They have no license for violence. Almost all these HOAs have for leverage is the ability to stop the permitting process and collect liens at closings. That’s it. 3. Lack of a zoning ordnance means the owner, and thus the market, decides most land use. Zoning commissions can, and do, make even bigger mistakes than the market. They steal millions from land owners all the time. They are often corrupt. They favor developers unless and until citizens organize, and then mob tyranny takes over. If you are not trying to build a sky scraper or dangerous industrial site in Houston, you are pretty good to go. If you are doing something really obnoxious, you will need lawyers, but otherwise, you are fine. Good neighbors have only to fear bad neighbors, not the government. 4. Housing prices are affected by zoning, or lack of it. What’s different about Austin versus other Texas cities is that only they ever really tried to control growth of their city using land use restrictions. It’s a danger putting all your government types in one city along with your biggest university, they think they can run things even though they are the two types of people least able to run anything without creating more problems than they solve.

[@10cabe]

Houston is a beautiful, functioning, park-filled city with splendid bike trails covering enormous distances, one hour from Galveston and the Gulf of Mexico. Houston never wants comparison with provincial Dallas. Houston has the most international population in this country. We are welcoming!

[@pwrfl2357]

Yeah sunbelt city like LA but just a TAD bit more humid

[@christopherhead934]

In Houston, homeowners have to go to court to change deed restrictions. Some still say whites-only but people don't bother to read them or don't want to pay the money to get it removed.

[@csmlyly5736]

Not to mention any such language is void. Entire subdivisions, not just in Houston but throughout the US, still have language restricted "sale to Negros and Indians".

[@1000bijen]

Just over 200k for a house in Dallas? That's insane! I live in a town of 10.000 in the Netherlands and here you won't find many homes for 200k or less. Bigger cities like Amsterdam and Utrecht are even more expensive. I think should move! Edit: The day after this comment I saw in the newspaper that a nearby town of 3000 inhabitants is building tiny homes for 200k each. It's getting insane!

[@honkhonk8009]

Only reason people say the US is a bad country is because they take into account states like California and New York. Without those shitholes, the rest of the US has similar crime rates to Europe, and has little inequality.

[@Bob-Fields]

@@honkhonk8009 Donald, is that you?

[@snarkylive]

@@honkhonk8009 I think most people are focused on our underdeveloped red districts that lack hospitals and schools, but are full of racists and domestic terrorists. The spirit of Sherman is coming for you son, Millennials have surpassed Boomers in population in 2019 and are overwhelmingly sick of your shit. We're going to use Section 9, the 14th amendment, and the PATRIOT Act, to finish off the ghost of the confederacy that Lincoln couldn't, because you shot him in the back. Bless your hearts.

[@MarcoGPUtuber]

Wait. Houston has no zoning? I am moving there to start my development company.