And one very specific kind of regulation at that: zoning laws. I could imagine a complex system of zoning laws maybe working, if they were written by urban plan

And one very specific kind of regulation at that: zoning laws. I could imagine a complex system of zoning laws maybe working, if they were written by urban planning experts with a genuine interest in the greater good. California’s zoning laws are cobbled together by the total opposite: ordinary local officials with a myopic focus on the interests of current property owners and a general hostility to anyone else. Houston zoning really is a breath of fresh air.