Form-based codes

News and resources relating to form-based codes, the SmartCode, and other urban-oriented regulations.

Related News

Addressing ‘missing middle’ housing in the Queen City

A form-based code would bring residents back to depopulated neighborhoods in Cincinnati.

2 Wed, May 16th 2012 8:02pm
Limiting density hurts low-income education

A Brookings study makes the case that zoning restrictions are to blame for housing price inequality and lower test scores of low-income students.

7 Mon, May 7th 2012 2:06am
Memo to Wendell Cox: Density and vision are not anti-market

Walkable, dense, Alexandria, Virginia, laid out by George Washington, represents much of what Cox apparently dislikes about planning. Its values have held up better than those in the low-density suburbs.

3 Sun, Apr 29th 2012 11:34pm
Washington may have to grow upward

As downtown DC runs out of buildable land, officials are considering raising the building height limit.

Wed, Apr 18th 2012 8:05am
Ohio city approves downtown form-based code

Dublin, Ohio adopts a progressive form-based code to regulate growth along the city's Bridge Street Corridor.

Thu, Apr 12th 2012 3:14pm
Big steps for El Paso

On the far west of Texas, officials are showing how to bring back historical patterns of transit-oriented, walkable neighborhoods in a low-density, spread-out city.

2 Wed, May 2nd 2012 4:06pm
Buffalo betting on a form-based code

Buffalo, NY, is the latest sizable city to embrace form-based coding.

Tue, Apr 10th 2012 11:11am
Finding fault with the Smart Growth Manual

City Comforts author David Sucher says a book by Andres Duany and company doesn't allow for "messy vitality."

3 Thu, Apr 5th 2012 2:53pm
Will the turntable be topped in Tinseltown?

An area equated with entertainment could become urban enclave clustered around public transportation and an animated street life.

Fri, Mar 30th 2012 7:25am
Livibility Solutions recieves EPA grant

A recently formed coalition, Livability Solutions, has received a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency that will help it give technical assistance to communities that face common development problems such as outdated zoning codes and a lack of consensus on where and how to grow.

Thu, Mar 8th 2012 3:33pm
Form-based codes still on the rise

The overall trend is toward a more place-based, character-based legal environment, according to one of the authors of the Codes Study.

Thu, Mar 8th 2012 9:43am
The case for codes

As codes provide predictability, they also protect the diversity of urbanism. Without them, wary neighbors tend to reject difference in proximity to their dwellings.

6 Fri, Mar 9th 2012 7:40am
Nashville axes parking minimums

Nasheville's new zoning code, which mixes traditional land use controls with innovative form-based regulations, may be just what the city needs to achieve a denser, stronger downtown.

Wed, Feb 29th 2012 3:48pm
How zoning went wrong, and how to shape places better

A new book by Emily Talen traces the unfortunate history of zoning codes, and argues for clearer vision.

Wed, Feb 29th 2012 2:21pm
A market will rise in Brooklyn

A Whole Foods market was given the final go-ahead on February 28 to build a store on a 4.2-acre former industrial site — but first had to run the gauntlet of public opposition.

1 Fri, Mar 2nd 2012 8:34pm
Greening the DC zoning code?
Is the newly released draft of Washington DC's zoning code really as environmentally protective as officials claim?
Wed, Feb 22nd 2012 4:59pm
B-grid be good

How can towns create more walkable Main Streets without completely sacrificing parking and other vehicular uses?  The B-Grid offers some practical solutions.

2 Fri, Feb 24th 2012 2:37pm
Alley dwellings, corner shops, and less parking envisioned in DC

Zoning in the nation's capital may encourage elements associated with the walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods of the past.

Tue, Feb 14th 2012 1:49pm
From the mayor's office (Part 1)

Stripe the streets and respect the neighborhood! — a list of Strong Town strategies.

1 Fri, Feb 10th 2012 10:22pm
Why cities are unaffordable

Cities and towns would do better to focus on more effective regulations and find ways to make them as streamlined as possible.

6 Thu, Jan 26th 2012 12:25pm
Big Apple takes proactive zoning approach

New York City was the first US city to adopt zoning — in 1916. Now the city is taking the lead in making zoning a proactive tool for livability, says this report.

Sat, Jan 21st 2012 1:01pm
Regulations that promote sprawl are ebbing

The overall trend is toward a more place-based, character-based legal environment, according to one of the authors of the Codes Study.

4 Thu, Feb 2nd 2012 1:10am
As funds vanish, New England looks at how to pursue sustainability

Boosting the proportion of development along transit networks is one goal of smart growth advocates in the region.

1 Tue, Dec 6th 2011 12:40pm
Shape public space first, then design the buildings

New York should learn from the Dutch, who have urban designers organize sites for the public good before the architects are called in.

Mon, Dec 5th 2011 1:03pm
Opportunity for urbanists: Occupy Wall Street

There’s tremendous capital waiting to be invested in urban real estate, but capital funds managers face a gap in experience and expertise.

1 Thu, Dec 8th 2011 2:48am

Adopted SmartCodes


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Resources

Research

Limiting density hurts low-income education

A Brookings study makes the case that zoning restrictions are to blame for housing price inequality and lower test scores of low-income students.

7 Mon, May 7th 2012 2:06am
Why cities are unaffordable

Cities and towns would do better to focus on more effective regulations and find ways to make them as streamlined as possible.

6 Thu, Jan 26th 2012 12:25pm
Regulations that promote sprawl are ebbing

The overall trend is toward a more place-based, character-based legal environment, according to one of the authors of the Codes Study.

4 Thu, Feb 2nd 2012 1:10am