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The biggest difference, of course, is the lack of zoning — but what that really means in Houston is that there is no zoning for use. Under the city’s development code, no parcel of land is restricted for any particular land use, and in many cases, there are no density or height restrictions either.
- They DO have land use regulations. Despite their reputation as the city without zoning, they do regulate a myriad of land use issues such as density, buffering, lot size, and historic preservation through their Planning and Development Department.
- Unincorporated Towns. It’s important to note there are numerous unincorporated towns within and surrounding the Houston metro area. And while these towns have their own land use codes, if they lie within the very large Houston annexation area, they will be subject to some of Houston’s ordinances, like subdivision laws, in addition to their town’s land use codes.
- The Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone. Houston also has something called a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone. Designed to establish and attract new investments, these areas retain property tax revenue for uses within their borders.
- Houston has no Comprehensive Plan. This isn’t earth-shattering news, but the absence of a comprehensive plan means there is no policy document to inform ordinance creation.
The Department of Planning and Development regulates land development in Houston and within its extraterritorial jurisdiction, ETJ. The City of Houston does not have zoning, but development is governed by ordinance codes that address how property can be subdivided. The City codes do not address land use. No Zoning Letter and Boundary Map for ...
Houston Actually Does in Fact Lack Zoning. When discussion of Houston is brought up urbanists will say that while Houston lacks a formal zoning code, that its land use regulations are "zoning by another name". But I believe this analysis is simplistic. This equates all land use regulation with zoning and it misunderstands what zoning in fact is.
In Houston, the minimum lot size requirements are defined under various residential zones like R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-4. Each zone has distinct regulations about acceptable lot sizes for development. For instance, residential zones may specify minimum square footage for a single-family home.
Feb 7, 2024 · In its absence of zoning laws, the city does regulate land use in other ways including deed restrictions, historic preservation, tax increment reinvestment zones, a buffering ordinance, density ...
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Nov 17, 2022 · What Houston does have is “de facto” zoning, with a variety of land use regulations, from height restrictions to minimum lot size requirements, to historic districts.