Since its origins in the early twentieth century, the underlying intent of zoning has remained essentially unchanged; to protect the health and safety of residents – largely defined by the presence of detached single-family homes – from the threats associated with proximity to non-residential uses.
Euclidean zoning makes it extremely difficult to mix uses. As a result, “traditional” development patterns with high-density housing, nearby commercial and pedestrian-friendly walkways are virtually impossible to create. The segregation of uses has also led to sprawling development patterns, mediocre buildings, and faceless places.Form Based Code
“A form based code is a zoning code that is designed to regulate development to achieve a specific urban form. Form-based codes create a predictable public realm primarily by controlling physical form, with a lesser focus on land use, through city or county regulations.” - Form Based Code Institute (FBCI)FBC’s have been described as the “DNA of livable communities” – defining human scale.
These codes are community-built and driven. The results are neighborhoods with vibrant business districts and the qualities that neighborhood residents value: a safe, attractive environment that accommodates pedestrians, transit and bicycles as well as cars; a range of housing types and businesses; and great public spaces – plazas, greens, parks and squares – that foster a sense of community. Form-Based Codes are developed with an end result in mind. It functions as a template whereby having clear controls on building form. Form-based codes emphasize form over function.The Transect
The Form Based Code (FBC) uses a transect, which is a planning tool to define a series of zones that transition from sparse rural to the dense urban core. A major feature of a transect is that it incorporates a variety of residential and commercial spaces into a single neighborhood.
Benefits of FBC's over Traditional Zoning includeincreased community involvement; better comprehension of the regulations; improved flexibility; the promotion of good urban design; and enlarged community equity.
Form-Based Codes provide planners across the country a new impetus to creating livable communities. These codes seek to address to the undesirable consequences of Euclidean zoning. These consequences include the promotion of sprawl, the exclusion of certain populations, the incomprehensibility/ inflexibility of current zoning ordinances, and the inability to create healthy, attractive communities of mixed uses. However, Form-Based Codes are not without fault, and should not be considered a cure for all the negative consequences of current land development practices.
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Open publication - Free publishing
Open publication - Free publishing
References: Images (Top to Bottom)
1. Images 2, 3, 4, 5, 9: Benjamin dela Peña. “Form-based zoning and other alternatives to the way we build our communities”. Smart Growth Leadership Institute.
2. Image 6: http://www.quallsforcouncil.com/pages/content/formbasedcodes.html
3. Image 7: http://www.ongov.net/Planning/images/illust_urban_rural_transect_color.jpg
2. Image 6: http://www.quallsforcouncil.com/pages/content/formbasedcodes.html
3. Image 7: http://www.ongov.net/Planning/images/illust_urban_rural_transect_color.jpg
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