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Apr 29, 2021 · April 29, 2021, 12:00 PM PDT. By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell. Yes, Houston is one of the most populous cities in the United States, and it's also the only city among the largest in the country to lack a zoning ordinance. But, despite a few obvious exceptions, Houston really isn't that much different than other U.S. cities.
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 ...
Apr 24, 2024 · Navigating the zoning laws of Houston can be a complex process, but understanding these regulations is crucial for both developers and homeowners. Unlike many major cities, Houston is unique in that it does not have conventional zoning laws. However, this doesn't mean that any kind of development goes. There are various forms of land use ...
- 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.
Apr 25, 2021 · # There is a big misnomer that Houston doesn’t have zoning and somehow must be a free market dream for land use. But that perception is false as Dave Amos explains how the city actually regulates land use in slightly different ways from cities with a traditional self-identified zoning code.
- Stephen Fesler
Dec 24, 2021 · Ostensibly, there is no zoning allowed in Houston for types of land use. Nor may the city’s development code sort land by land use. To this end, the code generally does not limit building height or population density. Technically speaking, it is a city without zoning. And yet….
Sep 29, 2022 · What does Houston’s experience offer to that larger conversation? The main benefit of non-zoning in Houston is that it makes it much easier to grow and change over time. Zoning essentially puts cities in a straitjacket. Zoning is doing two things: segregating land uses and restricting density.
