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Form-Based Development Codes
<br />By David Rouse, .,~t¢?, and Nancy Zobl, Atc,~
<br />
<br />New development codes are emer§in§ that focus on re§ulating physical form as an
<br />alternative to conventional Euclidean zoning.
<br />
<br />The conventional zoning modei in use ~hrough-
<br />out the United States is based on the separa-
<br />tion of residential, commercial, and industrial
<br />uses, density controls, and proscriptive stan-
<br />dards for key development a~ributes (e.g.,
<br />building setbacks and heights). The historical
<br />antecedents of this model include the ~926
<br />Supreme Court decision in the case of Village of
<br />Euclid vs. Ambler Really Co., which le§itimized
<br />the separation of uses to protect the public
<br />health, safety, and we!fare, and the ~916 New
<br />York Ci~' zoning code, which established
<br />dimensional requirements to permit light and
<br />air and prevent overcrowding. Published in the
<br />~9:zos, the Standard State Zoning Enabling Act
<br />was ultimately adopted by ail 50 states, It is still
<br />the basic modei used by iurisoic?.ions to regu-
<br />late deve!opment, aithou§h many features have
<br />been added to local codes over the years to
<br />address emerging issues (e.~., overlay districts
<br />and environmental performance'standards).
<br />
<br /> In recent decades, dissatisfaction with
<br />the perceived effects of conventional zoning
<br />on urban and suburban landscapes has
<br />grown among citizens and practitioners.
<br />While a variety of factors have worked
<br />together to promote development trends,
<br />such as the loss of traditional urban form
<br />and proliferation of commercial strip devel-
<br />opment and "cookie cutter" subdivisions,
<br />zoning has been identified as a primary cup
<br />prit. On the one hand, the separation of
<br />uses and limits on Density have contributed
<br />to excessive consumption of land (suburban
<br />sprawl). On the other, zoning's lack of a
<br />positive prescription for physical form has
<br />facilitated the intrusion of incompatibie
<br />development types into traditional urban
<br />neighborhoods and districts.
<br />
<br /> · In rea'trion Lo these trends, new, form-
<br />based approaches to development regulation
<br />are being proposed as alternatives to conven-
<br />tional zoning'. These approaches can be charac-
<br />terized as prescriptive or contextual in nature.
<br />Prescriptive approaches seek to codify the phys-
<br />ical parameters of development based upon a
<br />normative position on ideal urban form (b/pi-
<br />rally derived from the pre-World War !1 model of
<br />traditional development). Contextual
<br />approaches, on the other hand, look to the
<br />characteristics of the surrounding environment
<br />for guidance in regulating the physical form of
<br />new development. Collectively, ~hese
<br />approaches are referred to as form-based deve{-
<br />opme~t codes, A basic premise of form-based
<br />development codes is that the regulation of
<br />physical form (not use) is the key to producing a
<br />better ~uilt environment,
<br />
<br /> The following ~ext describes the basic
<br />features of three different types of form-based
<br />development codes: Form-Based Coding',
<br />Form District Zoning, and the SmartCode. For
<br />each i.'ype, a series of questions is posed
<br />regarding its application in regulations
<br />adopted by local jurisdictions, based upon a
<br />selected case study. These questions are:
<br />
<br />~ How comprehensive is its application?
<br /> Does it address the entire community or
<br /> discrete areas within the community? Does
<br /> it replace or supplement conventional zon-
<br /> ing systems?
<br />
<br />~ How does it deal with the regulation of use,
<br /> the focus of conventional zoning?
<br />
<br />· How rs it working in practice?
<br /> Form-based development codes are an
<br /> emerging :oncept implemented by a small
<br /> but increasing number of iurisdictions to
<br /> date. Because those codes are relatively
<br />
<br />new, practical experience in administering
<br />them is limited. As interest in alternatives
<br />to conventional zoning continues to.grow,
<br />more communities will implement form-
<br />based regulatont approaches, This article
<br />describes the initial experiences of some of
<br />these communities, with the proviso ihat
<br />the advantages and disadvantages of dif-
<br />ferent approaches will become clearer as
<br />they are further tested in practice.
<br />
<br />FORM-BASED CODING
<br />Form-based coding emerged out of the New
<br />Urbanist movement of the rate ~98os and
<br />early ~99os. New Urbanism is based on the
<br />concept ofwa{kable neighborhoods and small
<br />towns, with the compact, mixed-use develop-
<br />merit patterns of the pre-World War II era as
<br />modets. Form-based coding is a re§ulatory
<br />approach designed to shape the physical
<br />form of development while setting only broad
<br />parameters for use. According to Peter Katz,
<br />former director of the Congress for the New
<br />Urbanism and a proponent of this approach,
<br />form-based codes focus on what is desirable
<br />rather than what is forbidden, the underlying
<br />principles having their foundation in a vision
<br />or plan developed through community work-
<br />shops and charrettes. Regulatory standards
<br />prescribe physical elements, such as building
<br />height, setbacks, [pt size, parking location,
<br />etc., to achieve quality design in context with
<br />surrounding areas. They atso seek to integrate
<br />private development with the public realm,
<br />typicallv addressing the character of civic
<br />buildings, public streets, and civic spaces.
<br />
<br /> in theory, form-based coding is a com-
<br />prehensive, communitvwide approach
<br />designed to achieve better physicai deve{-
<br />
<br />112 ZONING?RACTIC~. 05.04
<br /> Ah',ERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION J page 2
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