Butt Ugly (Houston, Canyon, Katy: houses, neighborhood, yard)

[DabOnEm]

Originally Posted by atadytic19

And it is just as flat.
Most cities are flat.

The problem with Houston is that most people only see it from the highways and Houston's highway beautification projects only started in earnest about 10 years ago so the trees are not mature.

Give it another 10 years and the difference will be more noticeable. The spots with bigger trees already look much better.

Another thing that's changing is new construction along major thoroughfares, such as Richmond and Westheimer are getting rid of street front parking.

The suburban style strip malls type developments with the buildings set far back on the lot and parking upfront, utility wires everywhere, huge billboards... all give an untidy baby-bomer look. Thankfully all of that is going away.

This:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZiCxAvysYLgvgfRv5

Looks much better than this:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/xGXyuSoT3ubTirp89

NYC is only flat because they leveled it to build it up dense. There are still several areas in the city where it is left in a more natural state. You can almost tell how hilly NYC use to be by looking at the geography right across the Hudson too.

But for example this is Queens: 194-69 Keno Ave
https://maps.app.goo.gl/GdAUVZwsujekipNPA

Staten Island: 1640 Richmond Rd
https://maps.app.goo.gl/XSExUKzLWTKDB8Wb6

Believe or not much of Manhattan/Brooklyn/Bronx looked like this before they began the leveling and grid layout plan in the 1800s. They used to call it the islands of many hills. NYC has very beautiful topography. One of the better settings for a large metropolis.

Houston isn't ugly though. The city could do better beautifying the place but it has done far more recently than even 10 years ago. Houston gets too much rain for their not to be a lot of foliage.

[H'ton]

Originally Posted by Dopo

1. It has nothing to do with politics
2. Houston is liberal

NO....Houston is he biggest city in the state that is the poster child for Far Right politics.

That's all people care about...not how liberal Houston actually is (even though technically Houston is libertarian, NOT liberal).

We are talking "politics" here, not reality, and that's how the governor's voters in Connecticut see it.

Texas is bad. Houston is a city in Texas= bad. This was a stupid attempt at grandstanding.

[stoneclaw]

I personally think the governor was just riding off what was said about Houston in the past. Around 20 years ago or so when the Olympics committee was here, they said it about Houston but they were talking mainly about freeways as a whole. But he just wanted to hate on Houston. People just like hating on Houston. I know when haters are present, it usually means you’re doing something right.

I moved here in 2004 right after it hosted Super Bowl 38. If you asked me then if I thought Houston was ugly, I would’ve said it had some work and updating to do. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still some parts outside of the loop that need some close attention to. But just in the last 10-15 years alone, Houston has made some great improvements, not only to its downtown, but buildings, and freeways. It’s come a loonng long way from where it was in the early to mid aughts.

[houston-nomad]

Originally Posted by H'ton

NO....Houston is he biggest city in the state that is the poster child for Far Right politics.

That's all people care about...not how liberal Houston actually is (even though technically Houston is libertarian, NOT liberal).

We are talking "politics" here, not reality, and that's how the governor's voters in Connecticut see it.

Texas is bad. Houston is a city in Texas= bad. This was a stupid attempt at grandstanding.

I don't think you've spent time in Connecticut. This isn't how politics looks in Connecticut. The population there is well educated and understands well the nuances of a red state with blue cities. I don't know why the governor made such stupid and rude remarks but I don't think it was to play to that view of Texas.

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by Dopo

1. It has nothing to do with politics
2. Houston is liberal

I actually agree with H'ton.

Houston is liberal/libertarian however, most people on the East and West Coast don't know that. They think Austin is the only liberal place in the state and the rest of the state is filled with MAGA hat wearing bumpkins. Most people who have never been to Houston, know someone from here, or are well researched don't have a clue about Houston's diversity either.

In all honesty politics was probably a reason he felt comfortable making the comment. It would play well to a coastal blue base that has no idea what Houston is about. Just as conservative governors make the same comments about coastal cities, Chicago, Detroit, etc. without having a clue what they are actually about.

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by houston-nomad

I don't think you've spent time in Connecticut. This isn't how politics looks in Connecticut. The population there is well educated and understands well the nuances of a red state with blue cities. I don't know why the governor made such stupid and rude remarks but I don't think it was to play to that view of Texas.

I actually have spent time an CT and I think politics was a reason he felt comfortable about it. It also depends on the part of CT you're talking about. If you're talking about the Latte Liberals in Fairfield County, I agree with you. If you're talking about the Hartford area, I completely disagree. I've taught classes to people with college degrees in Hartford and they had no clue Houston was blue.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

Zoning has nothing to do with aesthetics; you can have a zoned city without aesthetic guidelines and vice versa.

I don't understand why everyone thinks that every shortcoming in the urban environment in Houston has to do with lack of zoning.

A lot of our poor aesthetics have to do with (1) setback buildings with parking lots and business signs in front, which are products of both car culture and the city's setback requirements, and (2) the fact that priot to enactment of the city's landscape ordinance, parking lots and property frontages weren't required to have any greenery - they could just be paved over or have weedy lawn area.

You beat me to it. If Houston didn't have the setback and minimum parking ordinances, it would look far better even as a city with no zoning.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by Spade

You beat me to it. If Houston didn't have the setback and minimum parking ordinances, it would look far better even as a city with no zoning.

People forget why those were put in place. The setback was to allow eventual street widening, which has been useful in many places. The minimum parking was because areas like Montrose were overrun with irresponsible businesses that didn't provide sufficient parking for their patrons. People had trouble even getting in their own driveways and had their yards filled with trash.

And there is something to a street with a nice consistent setback instead of crowded. Now it is nice if the parking is in the back. Some places do that.

[usc619]

Originally Posted by bu2

People forget why those were put in place. The setback was to allow eventual street widening, which has been useful in many places. The minimum parking was because areas like Montrose were overrun with irresponsible businesses that didn't provide sufficient parking for their patrons. People had trouble even getting in their own driveways and had their yards filled with trash.

And there is something to a street with a nice consistent setback instead of crowded. Now it is nice if the parking is in the back. Some places do that.

Great more concrete, that’s just what Houston needs.

[detachable arm]

I lived in the northeast a few years (but not CT), and also agree this was a political stunt. This douchebag was telling his base of know-nothing know-it-alls what they wanted to hear, in the same manner our politicians rile up the proud dumbasses down here. As a whole, yes- the people are better-educated and more well-spoken up there. However the vast majority still don’t know **** about Texas, just like people down here don’t know anything about the NE.