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mapped districts. In states with strong private
<br />property rights concerns, a mandatory FBC effort
<br />may be politically infeasible. When a mandatory
<br />code is not possible, an optional FBC overlay
<br />may still be an effective alternative. In this
<br />approach, property owners have an option of
<br />developing under conventional zoning or under
<br />the FBC. At first glance, this may seem similar
<br />to a planned development district, but unlike
<br />a planned development, the FBC is mapped to
<br />one or more areas and does not require a rezon-
<br />ing. The future of these areas has been predeter-
<br />mined by the visioning and coding process and
<br />is not subject to site -by -site negotiation. The
<br />Columbia Pike FBC is an excellent example of
<br />this optional overlay approach.
<br />Using Form as an Organizing Principle
<br />for the Zoning Code
<br />This is the most comprehensive approach and,
<br />when done well, the most effective approach to
<br />form -based coding. In this approach, the table
<br />of contents of the code document is structured
<br />with a form -first philosophy. Every provision
<br />from the preexisting code is vetted for its appli-
<br />cability to the form -first operating system before
<br />it is transferred so that it does not compromise
<br />the intent. All regulations, including parking,
<br />landscaping, lighting, and signage, relate to
<br />context rather than to a specific use. This ap-
<br />proach is perfect fora community that has made
<br />a strong commitment to promote smarter, more
<br />sustainable growth, transit -oriented develop-
<br />ment, or simply non -auto -dependent develop-
<br />ment that reinforces its unique character.
<br />Miami 21, the citywide code for Miami,
<br />which received APA's zo11 National Planning
<br />Excellence for Best Practice award, is the most
<br />comprehensive application of this approach
<br />to date. Most of the city of is mapped with
<br />form -based zones. This was possible because
<br />a majority of the city is urban in character, and
<br />the process had strong support from then -
<br />Mayor Manny Diaz.
<br />Livermore, California, used this approach
<br />to make infill a priority and to reinforce its
<br />commitment to promoting redevelopment.
<br />Even though the form -based zones were only
<br />mapped on a limited basis in Livermore, the
<br />system was in place to default to walkable
<br />urban development instead of making it the
<br />exception, reinforcing the city's smart growth
<br />policies and allowing the FBC to spread geo-
<br />graphically in the future without any major
<br />changes or additional work on the code.
<br />Flagstaff, Arizona, also used form as
<br />the organizing principle for its new code.
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<br />Typical Approaches to
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<br />What
<br />Should this Organizing New Components Great.
<br />Approach Principle and Included
<br />be Called?
<br />I, -Adding graphics to a Graphics -
<br />Euclidean, use -based code Based Code
<br />2.Adding design guidelines/T . ` Design
<br />site planning guidelines to a Guidelines
<br />Euclidean, use -based code or Design
<br />Standards
<br />3.Adding mixed use zones
<br />to a Euclidean, use -base
<br />4.Adding graphics,
<br />reorganizing code,
<br />cleaning up administration,
<br />and minor changes to
<br />- development standards
<br />5. Optional Form Based
<br />Code overlay
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<br />Flagstaff's process replaced a problematic
<br />performance -based system that had a primary
<br />objective of protecting natural resources with
<br />a form -based approach that promotes appro-
<br />priate urbanism, while still protecting natural
<br />resources.
<br />This approach can work effectively in
<br />small towns as well. For example, Kingsburg,
<br />California, is an agricultural community in
<br />California's Central Valley with a population of
<br />approximately 11,50o people. It adopted this
<br />Targeted
<br />Mixed
<br />Use Zone
<br />Application
<br />Code Clean
<br />Up and Re-
<br />organization
<br />Form -Based
<br />Code Overlay
<br />Parallel
<br />Form -Based
<br />Code
<br />Citywide
<br />Form -Based
<br />Code
<br />Use
<br />Use
<br />Use typically,
<br />sometimes
<br />form
<br />Use
<br />Form
<br />Form for
<br />FBC section,
<br />use for the
<br />rest of the
<br />preexisting
<br />code
<br />Form
<br />Primarily additional graphic
<br />and tables, content has mino
<br />changes only
<br />Components similar to FBC
<br />components may be created
<br />but they do not replace the co,
<br />so they may not be as careful.
<br />vetted and may create conflic
<br />within the zoning code
<br />New base zones and zone
<br />standards only
<br />Mostly just translating existil
<br />information into tables and
<br />creating drawings to suppor
<br />existing code information
<br />All typical FBC elements
<br />included, process rethought f
<br />FBC application
<br />All typical FBC elements
<br />included, process and all gene
<br />standards (parking, landscapi
<br />etc.) rethought for FBC-
<br />application
<br />All typical FBC elements
<br />included, process and all gene
<br />standards (parking, landscapi
<br />etc.) rethought for FBC
<br />application; administration a
<br />procedures, variances, etc., a
<br />all rethought to support the F
<br />approach successfully within its zoning code to
<br />preserve its small-town character.
<br />In the cases of Livermore, Flagstaff, and
<br />Kingsburg, the suburban parts of the city,
<br />where there was no intent to change them, is
<br />still mapped with used -based zones; these
<br />zones reside on the map next to form -based
<br />zones. In addition, the cleaned -up use -based
<br />regulations reside next to the form -based
<br />regulations in the code. If the city decides to
<br />transform these suburban areas into walk-
<br />ZONINGPRACTICE 5.13
<br />AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION I page 6
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