Eric, I spend several months working in Houston and likewise found it not to my taste. However, we shouldn’t mistake our personal preferences for performance. Houston is unquestionably an economic juggernaut. It is adding people and jobs at a fearsome rate, and is surprisingly international and diverse. I believe there are actually more foreign consulates in Houston than Chicago, for example. It might not be my preferred model of success, but that was one of my points. Cities need to find models for success that are right for them, and there is no one-size-fits all urbanist way.

Alon, Houston’s building code does mimic zoning in many ways, as do deed restrictions in housing developments. But my experience is that they are in fact very tolerant of diverse uses and scale in close proximity to each other. For example, high rises and strip malls co-exist in the Galleria area, as do high end shopping centers and strip clubs.