Could someone help me with research on urban planning?

[zacb]

And lack of regulations' impact on development? I have read about Dubai, Houston, Dallas, and to a lesser extent Japan, and how lack of regulation led to a windfall for those cities. Could anyone provide some case studies on these and other dramatic cases of population influxes based on loose regulation? Thanks!

[Jester]

"Population influx" benefits builders, developers, apartment owners, and commercial landowners.

It does not always benefit existing residents on the whole.

A wave of backward immigrants makes public schools unsafe and retarded, neighborhoods unlivable, wages stagnated. I would bet Houston is an example of that.

It's a wave you can surf on if you're, for example, a real estate agent or a building contractor. Housing for the immigrants, plus upscale suburban housing for the White Flight.

(I realize I am not answering your question. Good luck with your project.)

[zacb]

I am looking at specific examples of how low zoning cities were able to grow big time. The only example I could find in a sense were Houston and Dubai, although Atlanta was more for urban sprawl as well.

The way I personally view it is that the lower the prices on property, and the lower the taxes, along with a steady school system, will produce a vibrant business sector in a town. The problem I have with my town is it is anti-growth. They want it to stay a retirement town, and they have made remarks like " GM can go back with their n*ggers" right back where they came from" when GM wanted to build a plant here. In addition, they blocked a major Midwestern big box from coming in. So for me, there need to be structural reform, and I might consider running for a position on the county board.

[Jester]

I am looking at specific examples of how low zoning cities were able to grow big time. The only example I could find in a sense were Houston and Dubai, although Atlanta was more for urban sprawl as well.

The way I personally view it is that the lower the prices on property, and the lower the taxes, along with a steady school system, will produce a vibrant business sector in a town. The problem I have with my town is it is anti-growth. They want it to stay a retirement town, and they have made remarks like " GM can go back with their n*ggers" right back where they came from" when GM wanted to build a plant here. In addition, they blocked a major Midwestern big box from coming in. So for me, there need to be structural reform, and I might consider running for a position on the county board.

It's not GM/Big Box versus dying retirement community.

Either one is less than optimal.

Optimal is organic growth, growth of exisiting businesses, and local startups.

This is hard to do.

Zoning can be used to kill, but it doesn't have to be used that way.

However I am famiiar with the phenomenon you describe. The way to meet your neighbors in Glendale or The Valley is to try to build something, even just a nice house. Hordes of retired White (Glendale) or Jewish (Valley) zombies rise from their TV chair and shuffle toward you from all angles, drooling with obvious jealousy and hate about traffic, character of the neighborhood, open space, etc.

But anyway I think you should concentrate less on overall growth, and more on renewal, remodeling, and vitality. Some developments - specifically big box stores and casinos - usually DON'T help the local area, even though they do hire people locally. I cannot explain this, but it is commonly observed.

GM plants normally DO help a community (witness the way Watts decined after the GM plant closed following the '65 riot). Why?
(1) The jobs pay decently, unlike retail
(2) The jobs can be dome by normal men, as opposed to retail jobs which sometimes favor women and gays
(3) Most important, the plants EXPORT products to other areas, so they bring in OUTSIDE money. Big Box stores don't do that, so they destroy local-owned businesses, competing unfairly through mass purchasing power rather than good service. It's like the Borg fighting one guy, then saying it's a fair fight.

So why would your neighbors oppose GM? Class. They only want "clean jobs", for "white collar" people. This is tough to fight. The intelligentsia in America despises the working class. No easy solution for this.

[Teal Lantern]

I am looking at specific examples of how low zoning cities were able to grow big time. The only example I could find in a sense were Houston and Dubai, although Atlanta was more for urban sprawl as well.

The way I personally view it is that the lower the prices on property, and the lower the taxes, along with a steady school system, will produce a vibrant business sector in a town. The problem I have with my town is it is anti-growth. They want it to stay a retirement town, and they have made remarks like " GM can go back with their n*ggers" right back where they came from" when GM wanted to build a plant here. In addition, they blocked a major Midwestern big box from coming in. So for me, there need to be structural reform, and I might consider running for a position on the county board.

Two major ways this happened in the past are that the city or town developed long before zoning laws were put in place OR the city was built by a company or otherwise planned, which would mean the "zoning" was self-determined.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_co ... ted_States

Have you ever seen a factory in some 3rd world craphole and wondered why they chose to build it in the middle of a slum?
Next time you see that, you'll know the factory was there first.

[zacb]

The problem with company towns is the lack of self determination, and that the land does not technically belong to you. And so free choice can not be initiated, since there is a technical monopoly.

[Teal Lantern]

The problem with company towns is the lack of self determination, and that the land does not technically belong to you. And so free choice can not be initiated, since there is a technical monopoly.

"[T]he land does not technically belong to you" might be the reason your deed says "tenant".

You asked for examples of how it was done. That's how. The towns came first, then the zoning.
The 13 colonies were company towns on a larger scale. Territorial monopolies.

"[F]ree choice can not be initiated" ... anywhere in the USSA.

Go out into the middle of nowhere and build your own Zacbtown(TM), the state will come in and demand your building designs are up to seismic, electrical, HVAC, plumbing and other codes before allowing you to proceed with construction. If you get the bright idea to skip all that and build without permits, ... they start with fines and work their way up to police and bulldozers.

The county your Zacbtown is located in will demand taxes for "police (county sheriff) and fire" (non)-protection.
Refuse to pay those taxes and the sheriff, mentioned above, will auction off (what you thought were) your properties to someone who will pay the taxes.

If Zacbtown prospers, but is not incorporated and near a large city, it risks being annexed by the larger city -- again targeting tax revenue.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipal_ ... ted_States