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Published by Urban Land Institute
<br />Place Mal�ang
<br />with Form-
<br />BaS@d COd@S
<br />MARY E. MADDEN AND
<br />BILL SPIKOWSKI
<br />"Form-based codes" are on the
<br />minds of developers, planning
<br />professionals, and even citizens.
<br />Most references to them are
<br />enthusiastic, but some express
<br />fear and trepidation. What are
<br />these codes really about?
<br />More user friendly than conventional zoning,
<br />form-based codes are written in plain English
<br />and make liberal use of matrices, diagrams, and
<br />other illustrations.
<br />�%4 URBAN LAND SEPTEMBER 2006
<br />copyright 2006
<br />�
<br />Attachment C
<br />FoRnn-BasE� co�ES aRElanddevelop- visionordinancesactuallypromotethesprawl-
<br />ment regulations that emphasize the future ing development patterns that citizens oppose.
<br />physical form ofthe built environment. This Developers often agree with the citizens, yet
<br />alone sparlcs public interest in the arcane field find that mixed uses and pedestrian-friendly
<br />of zoning codes. Other enthusiasm stems from streets are difficult, if not illegal, to build.
<br />a widespread distrust oftoday's fragmented
<br />processes for approving new development—
<br />the system is brol<en on many levels, and new
<br />approaches are desperately needed.
<br />Form-based codes are becoming increas-
<br />ingly popular in communities seel<ing practical
<br />ways to grow smarter. Most zoning and subdi-
<br />Large cities have begun to consider form-
<br />based codes. In Denver, for instance, officials
<br />have started to rewrite their entire zoning
<br />code after discovering that it contains disin-
<br />centives for the very rypes of development
<br />the ciry is seeldng. Miami is in the midst of
<br />rewriting its entire code, using form-based
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<br />techniques on a larger
<br />scale than ever before
<br />attempted.
<br />But even with the
<br />enthusiasm they currently
<br />generate, form-based
<br />codes often are not well
<br />understood. How exactly
<br />do they differ from other
<br />regulatory techniques? If a
<br />ciry wants to evaluate
<br />form-based coding, what
<br />do elected officials, devel-
<br />opers, and planning
<br />staffers need to I<now?
<br />The Basics
<br />Form-based code is a new
<br />term forthe evolvingtech-
<br />niques that regulate the
<br />development of land forthe
<br />purpose ofachievinga spe-
<br />cific urban form. Cities and
<br />counties across the country
<br />are find ing that conven-
<br />tional zoning is not fulfilling
<br />this essential goal oftown
<br />planning.
<br />The failure of zoning to
<br />carry out physical plans
<br />for a community's future
<br />
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