Bill Fulton

If you go to a city like Los Angeles and you go to the most desirable parts of town, say the West Side, you will see vast areas that are zoned for single-family homes. If you removed zoning, many of those single-family homes would be redeveloped to higher density and there would be a lot more housing available. So to a certain extent, single-family zoning is used by homeowners to retain homes

what they call the character of their neighborhood, which of course excludes others, right? And also inevitably increases the price of the houses. It doesn't necessarily increase their property values because they might literally make more money if they could tear their house down and build something more. But it does raise the value of the houses that are there above what they otherwise would be.

what they call the character of their neighborhood, which of course excludes others, right? And also inevitably increases the price of the houses. It doesn't necessarily increase their property values because they might literally make more money if they could tear their house down and build something more. But it does raise the value of the houses that are there above what they otherwise would be.

what they call the character of their neighborhood, which of course excludes others, right? And also inevitably increases the price of the houses. It doesn't necessarily increase their property values because they might literally make more money if they could tear their house down and build something more. But it does raise the value of the houses that are there above what they otherwise would be.

You can build anything anywhere. In fact, in one of my regular slideshows, I have a funny picture of a single family house in Houston and a roller coaster right behind it.

You can build anything anywhere. In fact, in one of my regular slideshows, I have a funny picture of a single family house in Houston and a roller coaster right behind it.

You can build anything anywhere. In fact, in one of my regular slideshows, I have a funny picture of a single family house in Houston and a roller coaster right behind it.

Well, I have to explain that not everybody in Houston has a roller coaster in their backyard. And in fact, some people might want one.

Well, I have to explain that not everybody in Houston has a roller coaster in their backyard. And in fact, some people might want one.

Well, I have to explain that not everybody in Houston has a roller coaster in their backyard. And in fact, some people might want one.

What happens in Houston is that developers tend to dictate what gets built. So you see a lot of single-family homes being torn down and replaced with four to six townhomes on the same parcel. And you see a lot of old, in urban areas, little mini-malls being torn down and replaced by, say, five-story apartment buildings.

What happens in Houston is that developers tend to dictate what gets built. So you see a lot of single-family homes being torn down and replaced with four to six townhomes on the same parcel. And you see a lot of old, in urban areas, little mini-malls being torn down and replaced by, say, five-story apartment buildings.

What happens in Houston is that developers tend to dictate what gets built. So you see a lot of single-family homes being torn down and replaced with four to six townhomes on the same parcel. And you see a lot of old, in urban areas, little mini-malls being torn down and replaced by, say, five-story apartment buildings.

Interestingly enough, it's both. Traditionally... In urban planning, Houston was seen as an anomaly, this strange place that didn't have any zoning, so it must be weird. And it is kind of weird if you look at it in some ways, like the roller coaster in the backyard.

Interestingly enough, it's both. Traditionally... In urban planning, Houston was seen as an anomaly, this strange place that didn't have any zoning, so it must be weird. And it is kind of weird if you look at it in some ways, like the roller coaster in the backyard.

Interestingly enough, it's both. Traditionally... In urban planning, Houston was seen as an anomaly, this strange place that didn't have any zoning, so it must be weird. And it is kind of weird if you look at it in some ways, like the roller coaster in the backyard.

But at the same time, as the inflexibility of zoning has become more apparent, partly because of the housing shortage and partly because of this revisiting the racist history, Houston has come to be viewed as a place to look at, to say, okay, if you don't have zoning or you loosen it up, what happens? And the answer is you get more housing built.

But at the same time, as the inflexibility of zoning has become more apparent, partly because of the housing shortage and partly because of this revisiting the racist history, Houston has come to be viewed as a place to look at, to say, okay, if you don't have zoning or you loosen it up, what happens? And the answer is you get more housing built.

But at the same time, as the inflexibility of zoning has become more apparent, partly because of the housing shortage and partly because of this revisiting the racist history, Houston has come to be viewed as a place to look at, to say, okay, if you don't have zoning or you loosen it up, what happens? And the answer is you get more housing built.

New housing is still mostly high-end housing, but there's definitely more opportunity and more options in a place like Houston than you see in most other cities at this point.