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the public hearing process, thus reducing the
<br />administrative and procedural burden on staff,
<br />boards and commissions, and developers.
<br />Zoning Strategy: Remaining Open Minded
<br />While planning often rallies around the notion
<br />of flexibility, responsiveness, and creativity,
<br />zoning is often just the opposite: overly pre-
<br />scriptive, inflexible, and not adapting to chang-
<br />ing conditions overtime. The city acknowl-
<br />edges on the front end that Green Innovation
<br />Districts cannot possibly accommodate every
<br />possible green use or future trend that may
<br />emerge in the green economy. However, the
<br />zoning approach states that if an applicant can
<br />make a strong case to be included in the Green
<br />Innovation District, the city will be open to it.
<br />For uses not specifically identified by the
<br />zoning ordinance or covered by an identified
<br />green economic sector, applicants will need
<br />to demonstrate a contribution to resource
<br />conservation, greenhouse gas reduction, or
<br />green economics. However, even if standards
<br />are refined over time, it is anticipated that the
<br />PUD process will remain an essential element
<br />of regulating Green Innovation due to the
<br />inherent flexibility at the heart of the district.
<br />Unlike other districts, such as traditional
<br />neighborhoods or neighborhood centers,
<br />where less flexibility is desired, the Green In-
<br />novation District will likely require an evolving
<br />regulatory approach.
<br />LESSONS FOR CITIES IN TRANSITION
<br />Many of the issues facing Flint are found in com-
<br />munities across the country —neighborhood
<br />decline and vacancy, commercial corridor disin-
<br />vestment, weakening market position, and a col-
<br />lapsed industrial/employment sector resulting
<br />in large vacant properties within the developed
<br />areas ofa city. Although conditions may be more
<br />extreme in Flint, the planning and zoning ap-
<br />proaches used there should serve as a model for
<br />other communities looking to effectively address
<br />similar conditions.
<br />Do not shy away from flexibility. Err on the
<br />side of free market, innovation, and the entrepre-
<br />neurial spirit. Embrace the notion of establishing
<br />an envelope of creativity within a district to per-
<br />mit a maximum range of different uses, but put
<br />in place the minimum safeguards necessary to
<br />prevent use incompatibility.
<br />Consider a land -use planning approach
<br />that identifies place types. This approach is
<br />more in line with how areas actually function,
<br />provides flexibility regarding the future use of in-
<br />dividual parcels, and aligns well with traditional
<br />Euclidean zoning approaches as well as form -
<br />based and performance -based codes.
<br />Evaluate trends and community aspira-
<br />tions. What basic components of an existing
<br />code are serving as barriers to desirable rein-
<br />vestment? In Flint's case, while the new list of
<br />permitted uses may be a larger departure, simply
<br />altering bulk standards can achieve a very differ-
<br />ent reality.
<br />Euclidean zoning does not have to be rigid.
<br />Consider atypical uses that will let you achieve
<br />the intent of the zoning. Use district -specific and
<br />use -specific standards to mitigate impacts.
<br />Leverage the planning process to imple-
<br />ment zoning change. When considering zoning
<br />changes that will significantly impact a wide
<br />area, a complementary outreach and planning
<br />process can test the community's willingness to
<br />embrace the change and build the momentum
<br />needed for officials to make potentially politi-
<br />cally unpopular decisions in the best interest of
<br />the community.
<br />Work with what you've got. In older
<br />communities, the built environment has been
<br />shaped by the existing zoning code for decades.
<br />Use established typical lot and location charac-
<br />teristics, such as lot width, lot area, lot depth,
<br />adjacency to another district, etc., as triggers to
<br />vary standards for parcels within the same dis-
<br />trict. This provides flexibility while working with
<br />the physical parameters ofa well -established
<br />community and allows new standards to be ap-
<br />plied based on a variety of existing development
<br />characteristics.
<br />Note: As of the date of publication, Flint
<br />has not formally adopted the zoning ordinance
<br />discussed in this article. The draft ordinance has
<br />been through an extensive public review process
<br />and is currently under review for approval by the
<br />Flint Planning Commission. The city hopes to
<br />secure planning commission approval in Q2 of
<br />2016, and then will move to the city council for
<br />adoption. The staff anticipates the new zoning
<br />ordinance to be fully adopted in summer2o16.
<br />ABOUT THE AUTHORS
<br />John Houseal, AICP, is a principal and cofound-
<br />er of Houseal Lavigne Associates. He has
<br />directed planning, outreach, urban design,
<br />economic development, and zoning related
<br />assignments for communities across the
<br />country, including serving as project director
<br />for the Imagine Flint Master Plan. His leader-
<br />ship, innovation, and effective approach
<br />to implementation and outreach helped to
<br />garner his firm the 2014 APA Excellence Award
<br />for an Emerging Planning and Design Firm. He
<br />has been a featured speaker at national and
<br />regional conferences for issues related to in-
<br />novation, urban planning, zoning, design and
<br />visualization, transportation, context sensitive
<br />design, and environmental issues.
<br />Brandon Nolin, AICP, is a senior planner at the
<br />Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning,
<br />where he specializes in comprehensive plan-
<br />ning and community development. He uses
<br />his background in archaeology, statistics,
<br />and market research to develop data -driven
<br />plans that are both physically achievable and
<br />economically viable. Over the past eight years,
<br />Nolin has worked in communities of all shapes
<br />and sizes. He has created award -winning plans
<br />to reposition shrinking cities like Flint, revital-
<br />ize aging commercial areas in Milwaukee, and
<br />strengthen small rural towns and emerging
<br />suburban communities.
<br />Cover: smontgon65/iStock editorial/
<br />Thinkstock. Concept by Susan Deegan.
<br />Vol. 33, No. 5
<br />Zoning Practice is a monthly publication of the
<br />American Planning Association. Subscriptions
<br />are available for $95 (U.S.) and $12o (foreign).
<br />James M. Drinan, JD, Executive Director; David
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<br />Advisory Services. Zoning Practice (ISSN 1548-
<br />0135) is produced at APA. Jim Schwab, FAICP, and
<br />David Morley, AICP, Editors; Julie Von Bergen,
<br />Senior Editor.
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