[lavishlatern]

Alternatively, the influx of tech money greatly increases the cost of property in Texas. In turn, senior residents start to no longer be able to afford to keep up their property taxes. Eventually a proposition appears on the ballot to limit the growth of property taxes...

[chrisco255]

There's a lot of land in Texas, and they're not opposed to building high rises.

[MAGZine]

Citation needed? In my experience, SFHowners who live in a primarily residential neighborhood generally don't want condos if they live in Texas or Maine or California.

[wahern]

While Houston doesn't have zoning use restrictions, apparently many neighborhoods have private land covenants that restrict redevelopment: https://kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/2020/01/09/no-zoning-in-Ho... So in practice large projects usually will only occur in less wealthy neighborhoods where residents aren't savvy enough to enforce restrictions, and patterns of development end up looking pretty much like most of California. I'm sure it's still much cheaper to build in Texas, though, because the real costs in California aren't the restrictions, per se, but the uncertainty and time delays. Time is the real budget killer, and a silent one that helps to hide the externalities that policies create.

[delaynomore]

You are still limited by commute time. Urban sprawl can be costly to the local government, and ultimately the tax payers.

[Finnucane]

Also, not opposed to building explody chemical plants near residential areas. But I suppose the Oracle folks moving in have enough money to avoid that.

[alisonkisk]

The name "Silicon Valley" refers to the fact that the whole region is perforated with Superfund sites.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superfund

[ak217]

That's not what the name refers to.

[BurningFrog]

I'm Texas, increased demand for housing results in production of more housing.

This keeps prices reasonable, and gives people somewhere to live.