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Q&A, Point-Counterpoint
R. Alex Whitlock
The Houston Chronicle interviews a libertarian on Houston's city planning (or lack thereof) and I think it's more interesting than it is intended to be.
In my observation a Q&A of this sort is generally an opportunity for the interviewee to express their thoughts. Part of that is to confront counterarguments, but by and large a Q&A is not supposed to be a debate. But
read it and tell me if it doesn't. The interviewer quite obviously seems to prefer Portland's aggressive planning over Houston's laissez faire strategy.
Q: Metro has been criticized for getting into transit-oriented development, but the kind of growth we had here for years — often called sprawl — is also abetted by government policies: The state or county builds a road out in the prairie where a developer puts a subdivision. In both cases, tax dollars are spent to encourage a particular residential pattern.
A: First, roads pretty much pay for themselves, and your toll roads really do pay for themselves. You didn't have to create a huge sales tax to build them like you did for the rail system. Second, about one in five Americans say they would like to live in the city near jobs, transit and shops, but the large majority say they would rather live in a suburban home with a large yard.
Q: Doesn't that one in five have a say, too?
A: In a city like Houston with no zoning there ought to be plenty of housing density for people who want it. But once that market is saturated, the only way to get more density is to subsidize it.
Q: I've been to Portland and it seems really nice.
Look closely and you will notice the distinct lack of a question mark at the end of that last "question".
Anyhow, more interesting than the point-counterpoint aspect of the interview is that the in the debate the Houston Chronicle writer takes the side of Portland
against Houston.
Observations
When I was in my early 20s, I went to France for several weeks on a study abroad program. I stayed in Bourges, a city of about 100,000 people. It was my first experience in a town built before the automobile. Everything was within walking distance and they had a bus system that would take you anywhere you needed to go. I spent some time in Paris, which also had a subway system. It was liberating to be able to go anywhere you wanted to go without driving. All the walking was also good exercise.
Of course, Houston was developed after the automobile. It's also incredibly hot 6 months out of the year. How many people want to walk (or bicycle) anywhere when it's 100 degrees outside? I certainly don't. I do get tired of spending half my day inside the car, though. I wish there were a happy medium, but I just don't see it for a city as hot as Houston.
I would love to live in a less car-dependent city, though I think it impossible to try to turn a car-dependent city into one where you don't need a car. The damage has been done, so to speak, and I think that there are a lot of upsides in the current system in terms of growth.
I grew up riding a bike, and being able to get most places on it if I wanted. And I can see where Houston would do well to adopt "some" concept of Zoning for the future; my area has some problems caused by the lack.
Alex, I agree that it is darn near impossible to turn a car city into a pedestrian city. Watching gas prices inch up toward $3.00 per gallon and beyond makes me nervous, though.
Mike, I too grew up riding a bike, but I find that I am much more sensitive to the heat than I used to be and I don't think bikes are simply feasible in Houston. I would love to see some sort of zoning in H-town but don't think it will ever happen.
Portland Rules!
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