Most even vaguely urbanized areas in the US have this, but it's a typically a municipal-level (county or city) thing, so yes, there are sizable chunks of the US that have no zoning or building codes, but they're out in the boonies and typically in areas where people live on large parcels, so there are fewer problems with neighbors complaining, since they might not even be able to tell from their own property. That doesn't mean you can build a factory or nuclear plant necessarily, since those kinds of things will typically require state- or federal-level permits, but it does mean you can put up a fence or a pole barn on your own land without asking anyone's permission.
It is, and it's what I'd be most familiar with. A lot of this stuff is driven by central government, but implemented and enforced at a local level. It'd be harmonised throughout the state.
It would mostly tie in with European environmental regulations too.
That's not to say these regulations are flauted from time to time, or if you were out of site on your own estate you could do what you want. But there have been cases of people being told to demolish their houses.
Here's an example [0] where it should be clear why planning laws are needed ...
That seems more like an example of how the "planning laws" are a nuisance and totally out of step with reality. If there were really some harm in the house being there, surely somebody should have challenged it before 10 years. What harm is the court redressing in ordering it torn down?
Like "planning permission"? Don't they have this everywhere?
Seems fair enough to me. Built structures have such an impact on the environment it absolutely makes sense to regulate construction.