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The impetus for passage of the law was a i ~ ; :Wh~le _~, lifOr[fia law did not previously
<br /> meeting at the Governors Office of Planning and;.~ pt~i~de~o~-bas~d zonin~ it was never
<br /> Research with the Bay Area New U~anists an'd~; ~ encff~d~ ~e~_ ~ suggested. ~e lan~ua~e
<br /> Congress far the New U~anism cO.[ounder, :::~ :~,a[J~he~c~.[~ts o~enerai plans encour-
<br /> Andres Ouany, who were asked ~d prepare a ~ i~ad~he~e~tjO~ ofland uses into respec-
<br /> white paper on 5ma~ ~ro~h polimes m ave:~o>~o~sin~ business indus~ria,
<br /> . . ~ ' ~ ;: ~.~ ~. ;~ ~ [r:~ : ·
<br /> Eahforma. ~e tex~ or ~he new law was ~ken ; ~ and ~e~la~d;us~. ~a result ~s a land;use
<br /> directly From me papers recommendations. ;~ Oa~mc~a~{eHz~d by s~rawlin~ auto-od-
<br /> Accordin~ ~o ~he white paper, s~ndard ~ ;' ente~d~elo~ instead o~ pedestrian-
<br /> zonin~ practice in California did not promote .. ~ s:cate~ei~hb~o~as with a mix o~ useS.
<br /> NewUrbams~-~Medevel~pmen~Rsays, ~e' ~[ ; :. ~:? :~ ~
<br /> cu~ntzoninEand~ubdvisionordlnanceso~ ~ r For~a a~:~r~d ZORJR~
<br /> mos~ California cities and countJesare use- ~ i ' ~ ~ :~ ~ ~ [- .,
<br /> - ~ td ~meay~ne problems or
<br /> based--thetis their pdma~ consideration is '_~ ': ~ ~: · ,~[
<br /> the grouping°fsimilarand related~land uses ~ ~:U[O;~ ZO~[Bff ~V
<br /> whde separating them From all other uses that _~ ~ ~ ~__~ ~- · ~ :: ~ ~ ~ ~ ·
<br /> are pefco,red to be po,entiallyincompaable." ~ ~:i~t~r~E{"~
<br /> streets,
<br /> open
<br /> Use-basedzonin~iswhatsomeN~U~anis~:';~ snac~,.:~O~in'~-~: - commercial
<br /> pmnt to for hmdenng sma~ grow~:effo~, : ' :: ~:. ~:~: ~ ~
<br /> claiming such codes make it impoSSible to corn ~e~el~pment,
<br /> and
<br /> street walkable, compact', m~x~-use neighbor- - ~. ~ ;~ K ~ .~ ~ ~ ~ ~
<br /> . ~ : ~H~ ~H~U/HUUU~.
<br /> hoods in California's historic cities and towns. : ~ : ~ : ~ ~ ~
<br /> Conversely,~orm-~ased zonin~seeks~o :{ : ~ [ ~:: :. ~
<br /> ' P~r ~ p~ssa~o~ ~e law seve~l
<br /> remedymeprobiemsofused.basedzonin~ :. :. ]~ :~ ~r~ ~ '
<br /> - . ~ · ' ~ ~lifo~i~ c~m'~qnitj{S adopted fo.-based
<br /> mtegratlngstreets, openspace, housmg, com- ~ : ~.~: :~:-~:~
<br /> ~ zomngapn a~y a~ ~mplementatmn mocha
<br />merciaideve{opment, andne~hborhoeds. ~ ~.:~ nism~'~' a ~ai ~'~: .~ ~ ~ ' apmvision' inthe '
<br />~e white paper states, "the form-based code '~t ~rsP~F'~lan'
<br />contains a series of Rexible formuias and ;~ state ~de ~u~gzi~leglst~twely adopted .
<br />design conventions ~hat ensure :hat the build- :~ d~e[o~e~t p~ '~ ~ea[mphic subareas e~ a
<br />inss will be in scale with the stree:s and other ~ commu~,[ ~ ~a~ ~ouse and Nancy Zobl
<br /> 2o04).
<br /> A
<br /> recent
<br />
<br /> vid · r ~1 ~mra G~e~b~ce of Plann,n~ and
<br />may be pro ' ed w'thin each nei[Hborhood... ~? ): =!.I ~? ~.~ } ~ ' '
<br /> ~ ~esea[~ ~ ~say5 ~r~ta 8udm[ame
<br /> ~e white paper also retable,ds that }~[ ~ ~ ~ ~?~ ~ ~ ' '
<br /> '~ i : ~ Q~hed~iQi~,:~s~ ~ci.itas, Monrovia
<br /> ~ rPeMl~a. R '~ ~-d Sonoma have eithera
<br />· provide.mode language for form-based ~: ~' ~ : :~'. ~ .
<br /> .... s t '~ ~ba~ed ~en~mt ~l~n or zoning orainance.
<br /> ...... ., ; ~ { ~ O~pit~ S~h examples some Cafifomia
<br />= recDmmendt~einclusJonorsma~grow[n ~ · ~..' h : :~ . ' . . .
<br /> . , ~commUdi[ieS wire apprehensive or its
<br /> ......... : runtll enactmenbo~ th~ new law. When Ha
<br />· create mcendves mr me aaopdon or rorm. ~_ : ~ :~ '~ ~ . , _ .
<br /> hn~ wa~pr~anni a-~rm-oasaa coae rot a
<br />based codes; and :: : ~ . ~.~: : ~_
<br />...... ~small cilia ~o~h;erh ~al fornia, the c
<br />~ provide tax incentives aha inrras/~c[ure t } ' ,: ~:
<br /> ~ ~land,U[~r~q~stionin8 ~he lesaliW
<br />suppe~ far transit-oriented development. :~ the ~on~eptds/~pe~: ::. i~ ~: ' ~he~ process. "But from
<br /> Laura Hall, a California-based New :ithisPei~t on~ ~fe ~n't be an~ question
<br />Urbanist ~lannin8 consultant and a :co-au~hor ~,.~b°ul [~el 1~81tt~a~o~: . r form-based zomn~
<br />at the white paper, says me legislation is ~ ~nd:plan~in~!'a~ ~lah~in8 reals," Hall says.
<br />impotent Far ~wo reasons: (t) clarif~in~ in me ~ ~. Ha~:sa~ ~a~ti~: ~o the n~w law From
<br />government code that form-based ~enera[ , Pian'n:ers~in' ~aii~mia ts positive. "it's an exert-
<br />plans and zonin, code5 are legal and (2)the ~n, ,m, ~d ~b~ ~l~n~r in Call,craiG. There
<br />legislation wil( have an impact on the educe- -~re dO~:o~iY ~ew~pJa~in8 ~ool5 availab(e but
<br />~ion a~ new planners in California. "Plannin~ ~ew.ruie~as wel~hat'~tate yew clearly that
<br />students will now be explicitly taught from the ~ ~he natUr~:of~l~din~rom thi~ point on is
<br />yew be,inning [hat there is eno:her option in ~ ; r: ~O~e~.Ir~a"~: *~,_~n:~l>rnia,:" she says. The
<br />planning and designing towns, one that is .[~ law ~!1 ~es~t~imb~tter plannin~ and bet-
<br />based on how a ~iace is experienced and sec- ~r c°m~ities:~tEe[state because :he his-
<br />e.dari~v on :and uses," Hall says. ;(arCO p~tt~m ~f ~e~t~sn-oriented. mixed-
<br />
<br /> : i - : ¥ ~
<br />
<br /> use towns and cities is now institutionalized
<br /> in California state law, Hall says.
<br />
<br /> Some California planners urge caution
<br />when adopting form-based codes. According to
<br />planning and histodc preservation consultant
<br />Diana Painter, form-based zoning is a new,
<br />large[y untested concept, and planners need to
<br />assess potential impa.cts in order to avoid prob.
<br />lores. "As faulty as [traditiona ] zon ng can be,
<br />we know many of the pitfalls from trial and error.
<br />Some of the implications [of form-based zoningJ
<br />need to be tested," she says. Painter points to a
<br />Petaiuma example where spree parking require.
<br />ments under form-based zonin§ were excessive
<br />in comparison to traditional zoning.
<br /> A packet of information about the
<br />California ·form-based zonin~ law, including
<br />A.B. [265. background reports, and the white
<br />paper, !s available tO Zoning Practice sub-
<br />scribers by contacting Michael Oavidso'n,
<br />Editor, Zoning Practice, American Planning;
<br />Association, 122 S. Michigan Avenue, Suite
<br />z6oo, Chicagol IL, 6o6o3, or by e-mailing
<br />mdavidson@planning, org.
<br />Rebecca Retzla~ 4tc~. is a researcher with the
<br />American Planning Association and a Ph.D.
<br />candMate in urban planning and policy at the
<br />University of Illinois at Chicago.
<br />
<br />·
<br />
<br />VOL. ~2, NO. ~
<br />Zonin~ Practice (formerly Zonin~ News) is a monthly
<br />pub{ication of the American Ptannin§ Association.
<br />Subscriptions are available for 565 (U.S.) and 590 (for:
<br />eign). W. Paul l,armer, ,~cP, Executive Oirector; William R.
<br />Klein, .~cl,, Director or Research.
<br />Zorung Pracl/c~ (ISSN rsAO-m.3~] is produced at APA. IJm
<br />Schwab, ..,,~ce, and Michael Oavidson, EdRors; 8am/Bain,
<br />.~Ce. Fav Oolnick, ash Edwards. Megan Lewis, ~cP, Marya
<br />Morris. ~Lr., Rei)ucca Reizla~f. ~c.o. Lynn b/t. ,%5s, Sarah K.
<br />Wiebent;on. I-{elluriers; lull.. Von Bet§eh, Assistaul Editor;
<br />
<br />Lisa [~al[Ull. Oesi§n alld Produclion.
<br />
<br />l.oj]yrl~rll %t2oo5 bV .qlnerican PJalillJll~ ,RsL~ocia on. 122
<br />
<br />~merica Pa, e.,,':~s~)caiur]~_ a~,~(flce~.,.itr?76
<br />Mas£aiJtugei['.~ Ave., II.W., Was in[[oll.
<br />
<br />All ~i~h~ m~er.~d. Ho parr o[ ~his plJbJJcalJon
<br />
<br />duced or LI[J[iZelJ in ,irlv [orm or by
<br />
<br />ZONING P.'RACTICE o!.a5 137
<br />AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION j page z ~
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