3 ms·

First, we have some of the cheapest housing in the US. Second, the law will Have to change in the next 10 years. Third, if we do it right, Houston can become

First, we have some of the cheapest housing in the US. Second, the law will Have to change in the next 10 years. Third, if we do it right, Houston can become the city with the most green space in the country if we require that 1/2 of any replaced parking lot just become semi-public green space.

CalRobert 10y ago
That's cool, but making people travel through lots of green space still has the net effect of reducing the ability of transit to serve customers and forcing longer commutes. I'm glad housing is apparently affordable there. My views are probably affected by my experience growing up in California.
- bane 10y ago
  It's hard for coastal people to understand how cheap land and housing is in the interior of the U.S. What constitutes a down payment for a tiny home on the coasts will buy a virtual mansion with a ranch just outside of Houston. There's almost zero economic and social pressure to create the kind of cities we're used to on the coasts (or in Europe or Asia for that matter).
  - CalRobert 10y ago
    The point is that you're pretty much forced to partake in automobile ownership because everyone else decided buildings should have to be spaced ridiculously far apart. This is either directly, through density maximums, or indirectly, through zoning and parking requirements. Houston may have cheap housing, but it also appears to have much higher commute costs than most US cities. http://cityobservatory.org/introducing-the-sprawl-tax/ http://cityobservatory.org/introducing-the-sprawl-tax/ Anyway, I don't think we even disagree, really. I like green space too. I just hate laws that pretty much force everyone to have a horrible commute because living close enough to your job to walk or cycle, or having enough people in the same space to support transit, is almost illegal.

3 ms·

First, we have some of the cheapest housing in the US. Second, the law will Have to change in the next 10 years. Third, if we do it right, Houston can become

by skilesare 10y ago

CalRobert 10y ago
That's cool, but making people travel through lots of green space still has the net effect of reducing the ability of transit to serve customers and forcing longer commutes. I'm glad housing is apparently affordable there. My views are probably affected by my experience growing up in California.
- bane 10y ago
  It's hard for coastal people to understand how cheap land and housing is in the interior of the U.S. What constitutes a down payment for a tiny home on the coasts will buy a virtual mansion with a ranch just outside of Houston. There's almost zero economic and social pressure to create the kind of cities we're used to on the coasts (or in Europe or Asia for that matter).
  - CalRobert 10y ago
    The point is that you're pretty much forced to partake in automobile ownership because everyone else decided buildings should have to be spaced ridiculously far apart. This is either directly, through density maximums, or indirectly, through zoning and parking requirements. Houston may have cheap housing, but it also appears to have much higher commute costs than most US cities. http://cityobservatory.org/introducing-the-sprawl-tax/ http://cityobservatory.org/introducing-the-sprawl-tax/ Anyway, I don't think we even disagree, really. I like green space too. I just hate laws that pretty much force everyone to have a horrible commute because living close enough to your job to walk or cycle, or having enough people in the same space to support transit, is almost illegal.