Houston may lack zoning restrictions, but the city has taken a number of steps over the course of the year to limit the extent and flavor of development.
"Houston's real estate developers, who have long enjoyed a unique role as the city's unfettered engines of growth, suddenly find themselves on the defensive as they scramble to confront a flurry of policy initiatives affecting their industry."
"In the past year, the City Council has strengthened rules for protecting historic buildings, required developers to set aside land for parks and tried to give neighborhood leaders more influence over the shape of new development surrounding them."
"Various officials and committees, meanwhile, are working on new rules for development in transit corridors, policies to encourage and guide urban mixed-use developments and requirements for traffic impact studies of certain high-density projects."
FULL STORY: Chipping away at builders' access

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

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San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
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Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
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Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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New York City School Construction Authority
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