Tulsa's Zoning: Old v. New

[Hometown]

Ever notice how the zoning in old Tulsa is so much better than new Tulsa?

Tulsa is a city you experienced from a moving car.  It's built on the American plan – built for people in cars.

Moving through Tulsa you experience a gamut of zoning from good to bad.
 
Old Tulsa is beautifully zoned.  Think about driving east to west and crossing Harvard going towards the river.  You are immediately lifted up by the lush foliage and the homes set back a comfortable distance from the road.  There is a lovely balance of city and nature.

Now think about driving west to east and crossing Sheridan.  You've entered the realm of strip malls, excessive signage, and cabling and wiring out the yin yang.  Have you ever seen so many humongous parking lots?  This could be Waco or a bad part of L.A.  God help you if you are on foot and need a sidewalk or a crosswalk.
 
What happened?  Why is old Tulsa so beautiful and new Tulsa so run of the mill?  How can we fix it?