Very valid comment. It is quite segregated (goo.gl/MbPC5N). After a bit of research, it seems that maybe Houston does have something like zoning after all. App

Very valid comment. It is quite segregated (goo.gl/MbPC5N). After a bit of research, it seems that maybe Houston does have something like zoning after all. Apparently, there are lot size restrictions, density restrictions, buffering ordinances, and private "deed restrictions" which limit the types of business that can be in a neighborhood. From an article about Houston: "Instead, it’s the communities with the time, resources and political clout that essentially have the power to restrict development within their borders. That pushes it to other areas without a meaningful discussion of the citywide implications. The result: as Houston becomes more dense, not all places will change equally. “We’re coming up with rules to make Houston liberalized in terms of density and development … but giving particular neighborhoods tools to opt out,” Festa said." http://goo.gl/cTMO2d http://goo.gl/cTMO2d