This ought to be interesting. From the Houston Politics blog:

In this corner, former Mayor Bob Lanier and consultant Wendell Cox. In that corner, Gulf Coast Institute President David Crossley and Virginia Tech planning professor Arthur Nelson.

What's this fight about? Land use and growth in Houston, the nation's only major city without zoning.

As city officials struggle to devise policies that protect established neighborhoods while encouraging growth and development, experts representing opposing viewpoints will discuss local land use issues in a public forum Feb. 26 at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

The format for the event won't be a debate . . . more like a series of speeches, followed by questions from the audience. Crossley and Nelson will make the case for a general plan to guide the city's development and appropriate rules to enforce the plan. Lanier and Cox will argue that excessive regulations drive up housing costs and threaten the business- and development-friendly culture that has helped Houston to thrive.

The free event is sponsored by the Gulf Coast Institute, Houstonians for Responsible Growth, the Greater Houston Partnership and Blueprint Houston.