Form-based codes reach a milestone

New Urban News Article with tables and sidebar, 4/1/2008

First comprehensive book-length guide is published as local officials laud new codes’ effects.

Since 2001, when Carol Wyant at Pathfinder Consulting in Chicago coined the term “form-based code,” this relatively new tool for shaping development has found a receptive audience in communities nationwide.

This spring, another major advance took place: California new urbanists Daniel Parolek, Karen Parolek, and Paul Crawford published the first comprehensive, book-length guide, Form-Based Codes: A Guide for Planners, Urban Designers, Municipalities, and Developers.

The 352-page book from John Wiley & Sons ($75 hardcover) explains the purposes of form-based codes (FBCs) and explores the ins and outs of their creation, authorization, and implementation. It also alerts planners, designers, and developers to mistakes that sometimes cause the codes to perform more poorly than expected.