2025 Theses Master's

Patterns of Urban Sprawl Without Zoning Regulations: Focusing on Houston Metropolitan Area

Yim, Soo Jin

Urban sprawl, often viewed negatively due to its association with uncontrolled urban expansion, should not be evaluated solely through a binary lens of whether it is good or bad. Instead, the focus must shift toward how urban areas can be managed more efficiently. As urban populations grow and the demand for wide scale, comfortable living increases, the emergence of multiple urban cores drives for stronger connectivity with existing central business districts (CBDs). These developments should be supported by encouraging mixed land use in surrounding neighborhoods. In zoning free urban environments, like Houston, market-driven development tends to prioritize residential, office, and retail uses. However, this often results in inadequate accessibility to essential public services such as educational, recreational, and medical facilities.

This study examines the patterns of urban sprawl in Houston from 2002 to 2022, and proposes the need to adopt more flexible zoning policies or targeted planning interventions to ensure balanced spatial development and improve accessibility to public amenities. Ultimately, the goal is not to prevent urban sprawl, but to manage it in a way that enhances livability, connectivity, and inclusiveness across metropolitan areas, rather than the complete absence of zoning regulation. Moving beyond traditional zoning, flexible planning strategies that encourage spatial efficiency and land use diversity while ensuring equitable access to public services.

Keywords: urban sprawl, urban expansion, zoning, land use, Houston MSA