TEXAS Zoning Atlas

 

The National Zoning Atlas central team has published the metropolitan areas of San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, as well as Dallas, cities on the Gulf Coast, and other counties in Texas with support from the National Science Foundation and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. A University of North Texas team has also published information for the Dallas-Fort Worth region (except Dallas), with support from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

  • Quick Facts for Zoning in the Austin Metro Area:

    • 64% of residential land permits 1-family housing by-right; 30% with public hearing

    • 17% of residential land permits 4+-family housing by-right; 33% with public hearing

    • 22% of land allowing 1-family housing has a minimum lot size of 1 acre or greater

    • 48% of land allowing 1-family housing permits ADUs by-right

    • 73% of residential land has a minimum parking requirement

    • View the Snapshot | Watch the Webinar

  • The Dallas Morning News, University of North Texas project will map state’s patchwork of zoning rules: Coverage of the UNT team’s zoning atlas project.

    • Texas State Enabling Authority for Municipal Zoning: Municipal zoning authority is by and large governed by Section 211 of Title 7 of the Texas Local Government Code.

    • Texas Municipal Zoning Law, 3rd Edition: This is a key treatise on Texas zoning law, with lead author John Mixon, longtime professor at the University of Houston.

    • Zoning & Platting 101: Attorney Julie Fort of Texas Municipal Law offers an explanation of Texas-specific terms and an overview of state law on point.

    • County Land Use Authority in Texas: The Capital Area Council of Governments published this primer in 2009 about the power of counties to exercise land use (including subdivision) authority.

    • Fundamentals of Zoning: Attorney Reid Wilson provided an overview of zoning, as well as materials on the relationship between deed restrictions and zoning, for a 2002 continuing legal education course held at the University of Texas.

  • NZA Zoning Code Analysts: Matt Fratamico, Rama Karlapalem, Sam Latona

    NZA Geospatial Analysts: Conor Nolan, Coral Troxell

    Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Liaisons: Steven Mikulencak, Elizabeth Savage, Felix Landry

    UNT Team Leads: Yang Zhou, Lauren Ames Fischer

    UNT Research Advisors: Michael Carroll, Xi Yang

    UNT Zoning Code Analysts: Agim Bardhi, Samed Awudu, Cyrus Figiel, Brandi McDow, Kristopher Potts, Siddhi Pawar, Nicholas Powell

    Special Thanks to: The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service for generous funding for the National Zoning Atlas central team to support this project; and Mercatus Center at George Mason University for generous funding to the UNT team to support this project.