Prior to post-WWII housing boom, most of the deed restrictions expired after 25- to 35- years. What this means is that in Houston's oldest, gridded neighborhoods, virtually all land is unrestricted. What happens to an established neighborhood with no land-use controls? Fine-grained, Jane Jacobs-style urbanism. Areas like the Heights, the Montrose, and the Third Ward exemplify this; a single “long block” may have a variety of structures spanning 100 years, with multiple uses. Clubs and coffeehouses operate on “backstreets” amidst garden apartments, and townhomes nestle against bungalows and stately old southern mansions. (It should be noted that there was always a loophole which allowed tiny-lot townhomes inside Loop 610, in defiance of the larger lot size restrictions that controlled development in the greater Houston sprawl.)
Also: One of the significant differences that *does* exist between Houston sprawl and other Texan or Midwestern cities is that Houston has a lot more land devoted to commercial/multifamily uses. In Dallas, Atlanta, or Kansas City, there are many high-traffic streets which are zoned purely residential, whereas in Houston, land deed-restricted to single family tends to nestle on the interior of the arterial superblocks, while most arterial frontage is retained as “unrestricted reserve,” to be developed into apartments or commercial pads. This pushes down rents, and also leads to other quirks, like an abundance of restaurants – Houstonians eat more meals out than the denizens of any other major American city.
]]>Whichever is the better approach, they shouldn’t play both sides.
]]>Whichever is the better approach, they shouldn’t play both sides.
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