For the past several years, a controversial highway expansion has pitted neighbors against one another in Collin County. The proposed plan will wipe out homes and encircle what are now quiet neighborhoods. While nearly everyone agrees that the expansion is needed, nobody wants it in their backyard.
But as an article in D Magazine points out, the real problem may not be the anticipated growth in the region. The real problem may be the way that growth occurs.
America’s metro areas have followed a similar pattern of growth since the end of World War II, with older cities transforming into sprawling suburban regions whose expansion is driven by public investment in infrastructure—roads, sewers—that allows for new development of vacant land. But there was a flaw in the model.
It is a classic example of “if you build it they will come.” Though a more accurate way of stating it would be, “if government builds the infrastructure, private developers will build neighborhoods, strip centers, and malls.” And when the population in the region grows, government again expands the infrastructure and the cycle repeats.
But what if government wasn’t building the expanded infrastructure? How might that impact a region’s growth?
One potential answer can be found in cities across the country, including Houston. In Houston, demand for housing inside the 610 Loop has soared over the past two decades as individuals want to live closer to work, sporting venues, concert halls, and museums. Developers have responded with a variety of approaches.
Some have turned old warehouses into trendy loft apartments. Others have stuffed multiple town homes onto lots that once held a single-family home. And still others have built mid- and high-rise apartments and condominiums.
One important result of this is government does not have to spend money on massive and expensive infrastructure projects. For the most part, developers and builders are using the infrastructure that is already in place. Developers and builders are creating population density rather than urban sprawl. This attracts retail shops and restaurants and creates the type of walkable community that is so in vogue.
Unfortunately, in many cities land-use regulations prevent developers and builders from making better use of the existing infrastructure. Minimum lot sizes, for example, prevent higher density housing. Historic preservation prevents more modern buildings, including mid- and high-rise housing. Zoning frequently segregates commercial and residential land uses. All of this contributes to the less efficient use of land and infrastructure.
The road to progress in Collin County is an expanded highway. The road to progress is the repeal of the land-use regulations that prevent developers and builders from meeting the needs of an expanding population. Set the developers and builders free.