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Talking Headways Podcast: The End of “Planning By Pitchfork” in Houston

On September 30, Houston passed a new comprehensive plan, more than 14 years in the making, and ceased to be the largest city in the United States without one. Jay Crossley of Houston Tomorrow and Streetsblog Texas joins us this week to discuss Plan Houston and how it allows the city to stop "planning by pitchfork."
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On September 30, Houston passed a new comprehensive plan, more than 14 years in the making, and ceased to be the largest city in the United States without one. Jay Crossley of Houston Tomorrow and Streetsblog Texas joins us this week to discuss Plan Houston and how it allows the city to stop “planning by pitchfork.”

Houston is famously a city without much zoning. Hear Jay’s thoughts about how this works to the city’s advantage, whether locals oppose changes to neighborhoods as vociferously as people in other cities, and how different departments will now coordinate under Plan Houston.

We also discuss how the goals of Plan Houston were shaped, what got left out intentionally, what was jammed in at the last minute, and how it may change in the future.

Photo of Jeff Wood
Jeff Wood is the creator of the Talking Headways podcast and editor of the newsletter The Overhead Wire.

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