Driven by New Urbanism, more than two dozen communities in the U.S. have loosened zoning restrictions in recent years. Cities are opting to use form-based codes, a concept less concerned with the use of buildings and more with their appearance and the way they relate to each other.
The goal of city planners is to shape the streetscape according to a vision for a neighborhood. The new approach has been called “performance-based zoning.” An example is a large development in Fremont, Calif., where the city council changed its approach to zoning on a nearly 900-acre development adjacent to a light rail station.
Planners started with several goals—a certain number of jobs, a certain number of homes including affordable homes, and strict standards for a low carbon footprint. The developers were allowed to design the project as they saw fit as long as they could achieve those goals.
The performance-based approach is contrary to the principle of separation of uses that led to color-coded zoning maps pinned up in most town halls. According to the old philosophy, ach zone had its own designated use: residential, commercial, or industrial. This method is increasingly seen as inappropriate for urban development—especially infill, downtown, and transit-oriented projects.
(http://www.citylab.com/housing/2014/08/braving-the-new-world-of-performance-based-zoning/375926/)
Related Stories
Building Technology | Jan 7, 2020
Tariff whiplash for bifacial solar modules
Bifacial solar systems offer many advantages over traditional systems.
Codes and Standards | Jan 7, 2020
New certification program for rigid core luxury vinyl tile
ASSURE CERTIFIED to establish industry-wide quality standards.
Codes and Standards | Jan 7, 2020
Boston’s beefed up wetlands ordinance will limit development
Conservation commission must consider future climate impacts when assessing new projects.
Codes and Standards | Jan 6, 2020
States pick up the slack in efficiency policy as federal government lags
With climate change deniers setting policy in Trump Administration, progress continues in statehouses.
Codes and Standards | Jan 6, 2020
OSHA plans multiple revisions to rules impacting construction industry in 2020
Cranes and derricks, welding in confined spaces, beryllium exposure, and more on docket.
Codes and Standards | Jan 3, 2020
Labor supply and capability of workers worry contractors
Three out of four firms plan to add workers in 2020.
Codes and Standards | Jan 3, 2020
Car-free streets could become common in major cities
New York and San Francisco establish thoroughfares dedicated to transit, pedestrians.
Codes and Standards | Jan 2, 2020
CRE professionals have increased interest in embodied carbon accounting, smart buildings
Survey also shows that interest in resiliency lags behind.
Codes and Standards | Jan 2, 2020
White paper focuses on Metal Composite Material labeling
Document part of effort to uphold industry standards for the product.
Codes and Standards | Dec 18, 2019
Hard Rock Hotel collapse in New Orleans puts spotlight on undocumented workers
Having helped rebuild the city after Hurricane Katrina, many under threat of deportation.