Aesthetical Law in Houston

Cities are built upon their urban environment. However, cities are also built upon capitalism, progress and success. We must find the fine line between a need for an aesthetically pleasing community and a progressive, opportunistic place to create a way of life for yourself, your family and your friends, here in Houston. I have researched the various entities in Houston, of whom have taken upon the role of enforcing the aesthetic standards of our city. In this blog, I will make my case for the best way to enforce aesthetical law. However, in this same blog, I will also explain why the best solution can be found right here, in zoning-free Houston.

Aesthetical law must be enforced on our community; however, it should not be decided by sovereign entities but instead by the neighbors who live in the community. One of the first things one must understand when it comes to the enforcement of aesthetics upon a community; is that all locations have a different habitat to begin with. Therefore, each community uses a different platform and pattern to enforce aesthetical standards.

On the same token, I believe that everybody has different tastes, therefore, tastes cannot always be enforced by law, just as much as cities cannot determine the natural environment they are born within; they cannot let the decisions of how to preserve aesthetics be determined by an all-sovereign dictator on how to design the community.

I believe the people who live in and experience the neighborhood are the ones who determine the aesthetics of their area. I believe in localized government, therefore, I believe that the individuals, who get affected by the decisions the most, should be the ones making those decisions. So, believe it or not, that is the way it is done, right here in no-zoning law Houston. Houston is divided into “super neighborhoods” each district runs that neighborhood but it is not done by elected officials but rather, those who live there.  Regular meetings are held and decisions are made by those residents. After much research, preparing me for a blog on aesthetical law I have found that Houston is the city (that I know of) which handles this process the best and most closely to the conclusion I have come to. The people who live in the neighborhood are the ones who should decide the aesthetic standards of that community and that’s the way it should be done by every local government across the country.