The Development and Improvement Of

SHAPING URBAN FORM WITHOUT ZONING: A CASE STUDY OF HOUSTON A Dissertation by ZHU QIAN Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December 2008 Major Subject: Urban and Regional Sciences SHAPING URBAN FORM WITHOUT ZONING: A CASE STUDY OF HOUSTON A Dissertation by ZHU QIAN Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved by: Chair of Committee, Elise M. Bright Committee Members, Shannon Van Zandt Cecilia Giusti Robert Bednarz Head of Department, Forster Ndubisi December 2008 Major Subject: Urban and Regional Sciences iii ABSTRACT Shaping Urban Form without Zoning: A Case Study of Houston. (December 2008) Zhu Qian, B.Arch., Tongji University, China; M.A., University of British Columbia, Canada Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Elise M. Bright Houston is the only major city in North America without zoning. The growth of Houston illustrates a traditional free market philosophy in which land use zoning is seen as a violation to private property and personal liberty. This dissertation explores how the lack of zoning has an impact on land use and urban form in Houston. It is based on a theoretical framework derived from economics and public policy theories for institutional analyses of land development controls. The dissertation uses cluster analysis integrating socioeconomic factors from census data to select three case study neighborhoods, and then applies GIS to analyze their urban form spatial characteristics with spatial data from Houston Planning Department. It also uses qualitative methods such as archives and documentations for the three neighborhoods. The study investigates the change of urban form in three case study neighborhoods over two decades. It also explores how local land use policies made by both the local government and non- governmental sectors shape urban form in Houston. The study results show that despite the city’s lack of zoning, local land use regulatory policies made by the municipality have significant influence on urban development. Additionally, civic and private organizations such as super neighborhoods and homeowner associations fill the gaps left by the lack of land use zoning. These two aspects contribute to land use planning and urban form of the city. Houston presents a contradiction of limited government intervention and public investments and subsidies. Land use controls by private contract and by government legislative intervention are not mutually exclusive or immutable. The study finds that it is difficult to achieve mixed race and income neighborhoods, even without zoning. Equity goals are not met in iv market approaches. Deed restrictions might be better at facilitating property sales and maintenance than at improving community welfare and governance. From the theoretical perspective, the study argues that a spectrum of market solutions and planning approaches at the ends are more relevant than the bipolarity view. Equity goals are not met in market approaches. For welfare and rights, public planning intervention is necessary. The market might provide physical land use diversity, but it fails to support socioeconomic diversity. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The research would not have become a reality had I not been blessed by the generous assistance of many people. My appreciation goes to Dr. Elise Bright for her careful, critical and encouraging supervision. It is extended further to Dr. Shannon Van Zandt for her help with developing quantitative analysis and her comments on my final draft. I also extend my appreciation to my committee members, Dr. Cecilia Giusti and Dr. Robert Bednarz, for their guidance and support throughout the course of this research. Thanks also goes to my friends and colleagues, and the department faculty and staff, for making my time at Texas A&M University a great experience. In particular, I want to extend my gratitude to Bing Sheng Wu, Ph.D. candidate in Geography, who provided invaluable technical support for the Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis of this research. I appreciate the data resources provided by Houston Planning and Development Department and Texas A&M Map Library. Finally, thanks to my family for their understanding, patience, encouragement, and love during my overseas studies. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................... viii LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................ ix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 Research Background and Issues ............................................................. 1 Aim and Objectives .................................................................................. 2 Conceptual Framework ............................................................................ 3 Research Methodology ............................................................................. 5 Structure of Dissertation .......................................................................... 7 II LAND DEVELOPMENT CONTROL: THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL PERSPECTIVES ............................................................................................ 9 Social Welfare Theses .............................................................................. 10 Institutional Economics Theses ................................................................ 13 Public Choice Theses ............................................................................... 17 Market Supported Planning and Contractual Zoning ............................... 19 Review of Empirical Literature on Zoning and Its Alternatives .............. 22 Empirical Research on Houston’s Contractual Zoning ............................ 32 Towards an Institutional Economic Conceptual Framework ................... 34 vii CHAPTER Page III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ................................................................... 38 Overall Research Strategy ........................................................................ 39 Houston as a Case Study .......................................................................... 40 Research Questions .................................................................................. 41 Data Collection and Data Analysis Methods ........................................... 42 Research Limitations ................................................................................ 47 Summary .................................................................................................. 49 IV URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND LAND USE CONTROL IN HOUSTON ................................................................................................ 51 The City of Houston ................................................................................. 51 Political Culture ....................................................................................... 55 Zoning Battle ............................................................................................ 58 Annexation, Major Infrastructure and Activity Centers ........................... 61 Governmental Intervention in Land Use Control ..................................... 66 Non-governmental Sector Efforts on Land Use Control .......................... 72 Conclusions .............................................................................................. 76 V LAND DEVELOPMENT CONTROL AND URBAN FORM IN HOUSTON’S THREE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS ................................... 79 Case Study Neighborhoods ...................................................................... 79 Spatial Measures of Urban Form ............................................................. 89 A Tale of Three Super Neighborhoods .................................................... 100 Summary and Conclusions ....................................................................... 107 VI CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................ 111 Discussions on Policy Implications.......................................................... 111 Debate on Planning versus Market Revisited .......................................... 116 Institutional Economics Theorem as Research Framework ..................... 120 Research Agenda ...................................................................................... 124 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 126 VITA ..................................................................................................................................... 137 viii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1 Block Groups That Are Completely within the City Limits ....................... 81 Figure 2 Spatial Distribution of Three Clusters of Super Neighborhood Block Groups ..............................................................................................

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