Form-Based Codes Support Smart Growth
In 1999, The National Association of REALTORS® Presidential Advisory Group on Smart Growth included among its objectives "Evolution of planning, zoning, and subdivision laws to accommodate mixed-use development, higher densities, and changing growth patterns." The group believed that a new approach to zoning is needed if we are going to build better communities and provide housing opportunities and choice for Americans.
The projected evolution of these laws is now underway. A relatively new type of development control called “Form-Based Codes” is gaining popularity with local governments. These regulations control the physical form of buildings, and to a lesser extent, the land use. The objective of these regulations is to achieve a specific urban form. These regulations are a useful tool for supporting higher-density, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods with a range of housing types.
For more information, visit these links:
Making Smart Growth Possible with Form-Based Code
(On Common Ground, Summer 2007)
Getting the Codes Right
(On Common Ground, Summer 2006)
Zoning Ready to Be Reformed, by Neal Peirce, Washington Post Writers Group
Form-Based Codes Institute |
 |
| |
|
