>big houses and yards are the only options on the table for most Americans because of zoning regulation

Worse, they're not an option for more americans specifically because of zoning and regulation. If not for government micro management there'd be more density, more cheap housing and you wouldn't need to drive 4hr out of the city to find a single family that's affordable.

>There isn’t an option for new brick house in neighborhood built before cars were a thing.

There would perhaps be if not for all the regulation. Maybe not brick, probably something with brick veneer, but someone would be shoehorning them into small lots.