‘Form based code’ is a transformative tool in urban planning prioritizing the physical layout of communities over traditional, use-based zoning. This approach fosters visually harmonious urban spaces that encourage walkability and community interaction. By diving into the practicalities and benefits of form based code, this article offers insights into its essential role in modern urban development strategies.
Key Takeaways
- Form-based codes prioritize the physical form over the separation of uses, focusing on elements such as building facades, public spaces, and urban mass to enhance community character and walkability.
- Public participation is essential in developing form-based codes, with engagement methods like charrettes and surveys being used to craft community visions that inform future urban development.
- Form-based codes consist of regulating plans, public and building standards, and definitions, ensuring predictable urban growth and high-quality public realms while promoting sustainable development.
Decoding Form Based Codes
Form-based codes offer a revolutionary approach to urban planning, as they differ from traditional zoning code practices. These codes regulate land development by focusing on physical form rather than abstract parameters, thereby creating the essence of regulating urban growth and development. The beauty of form-based codes lies in their contrast with conventional zoning. Rather than focusing on the separation of land uses, they concentrate on how buildings relate to the street and each other, promoting an integrated urban environment. In this way, form based codes address the need for a more cohesive and visually appealing urban landscape. The Form Based Codes Institute plays a key role in promoting and educating about this innovative approach.
The success of form-based codes is inherently tied to the objectives of a community plan. They aim to realize a shared vision of urbanism based on historical practices. These codes are articulated through a combination of written regulations and visual diagrams, highlighting key elements such as:
- Building facades
- Public spaces
- Urban mass
- Form
The Core Principles of Form Based Codes
The core principles of form-based codes are rooted in the prioritization of physical elements such as buildings, building facades, public realm, and the scale and types of streets and blocks. These elements work together to create high-quality urban spaces. By focusing on the physical form, form-based codes aim to preserve and enhance community character, promote walkability, and encourage compact development patterns through specific building form standards.
Form-based codes also categorize areas into districts that allow a mix of uses and building types. These districts are organized into Centers, Neighborhoods, and Corridors to achieve the intended community structure and function.
How Form Based Codes Produce Predictable Outcomes
Form-based codes produce predictable outcomes by using dimensional standards to create predictable spaces between buildings and define their relationship to streets and public spaces. By prioritizing the size, form, and placement of buildings, these codes generate a predictable look and feel for the built environment.
‘Build-to’ lines in form-based codes lead to more predictable building placement than the variable setbacks allowed by traditional zoning. Form-based codes codify the distinct qualities of a community’s character, supporting development patterns that align with neighborhood values. By focusing less on separating uses and more on development’s contribution to neighborhood aesthetics, form-based codes boost the creation of walkable communities.
Crafting Community Vision with Form Based Codes
Crafting a community vision is crucial for the effectiveness of form-based codes. It directs the future aspirations of the community and provides a foundation for the built form regulation. Developing a community vision involves:
- Actively engaging stakeholders early in the planning process through initiatives like community ‘charrettes’
- Ensuring the form-based code is rooted in collective aspirations
- Making sure the community vision is actionable.
The vision plan is an illustrated document derived from the charrette, specifying the desired development and shaping of the public realm. This plan is then integrated into the comprehensive plan to guide form-based code development.
Through the proper crafting and application of form-based codes, communities can achieve vibrant, walkable neighborhoods that support environmental sustainability and strengthen the community character.
The Role of Public Participation in Shaping Form Based Codes
Public participation plays a crucial role in shaping form-based codes. The development of these codes involves a public stakeholder process that contributes to the creation of the community vision, laying the groundwork for the code. Public participation involves interactive methods such as charrettes, feedback loops, and visual preference surveys to develop a vision plan incorporating public and professional insights.
Community input through participation is essential in determining the desired character of the area. It builds comfort with the new regulations, encouraging the creation of walkable, mixed-use settings. Ongoing engagement with property owners, residents, and professionals ensures the form-based code reflects community needs. This is facilitated by educational efforts to comprehend and wield the complex codes.
The Anatomy of Modern Form Based Code
Modern form-based codes consist of five main elements:
- A regulating plan
- Public standards
- Building standards
- Administration
- Definitions
The project review process in modern form-based codes is clearly defined and streamlined to ensure compliance with form standards. A regulating plan forms the core of the building form standards, acting as a detailed zoning and street map keyed to specific development standards.
Definitions within form-based codes provide a comprehensive glossary of technical terms to ensure consistency in communication and application of the code. The toolbox method allows applicants to choose from a range of options to fulfill building form standards, encouraging diverse design outcomes.
Regulating Plan: The Blueprint for Development
The regulating plan is a map that designates where different building form standards apply, guiding the development intensity and character across the community. Regulating plans are detailed to the level of:
- individual streets
- blocks
- public spaces
- sometimes lots or buildings
This ensures specificity in the implementation of form-based codes by using the appropriate form.
A regulating plan utilizes organizational tools like the urban-to-rural transect system to map out zones based on desired community character and intensity of land use. Every street, block, or parcel is required to comply with the illustrated standards in the form-based code, which can be rolled out incrementally or applied to the entire city at onset, following land development regulation guidelines.
Building Form Standards: Defining the Built Environment
Building form standards define and shape the public realm. They regulate features, configurations, and functions of buildings including:
- Alignment of buildings to the street
- Distances from sidewalks
- Entrances
- Building heights
- Lot frontage coverage
- Window coverage
- Physical elements required on buildings
- General floor usage
Form-based codes include frontage types that control how the front façade of buildings interacts with the streetscape, and they also define building types which govern the entire building’s height, massing, and lot coverage, contributing to a coherent urban form.
Form-based codes often incorporate architectural standards that influence the choice of external architectural materials and building quality. They dictate elements like building articulation and window proportions to reinforce a pedestrian-friendly scale and enhance environmental sustainability.
Public Space Standards: Curating the Community Experience
Form-based codes regulate the high quality public realm by specifying elements such as sidewalks, travel lanes, on-street parking, street trees, and street furniture. Public Space Standards control the physical forms of squares, parks, and the rights-of-way of streets, detailing aspects like travel lane widths, sidewalk widths, and the placement of street trees and lamps.
Landscape standards embedded within public space regulations promote the inclusion of green infrastructure, prescribing types and placement of vegetation crucial for the design of public spaces and ecological functions. By focusing on the physical elements of urban landscapes and the design of public spaces, form-based codes foster environments that are more user-friendly and accessible, thus improving the overall public experience.
Implementing Form Based Codes: Strategies and Challenges
Implementing form-based codes involves strategies such as:
- Mandatory codes: the most common adoption approach for form-based code
- Optional codes: developers might opt for a parallel form-based code when compliance with the existing zoning ordinance is difficult
- Floating-zone codes: allows developers to create the regulating plans while adhering to local government standards
Each strategy has its own challenges and benefits.
An advantage of form-based codes for developers is the streamlining and simplifying of the development process. Hybrid codes that blend form-based and traditional zoning elements can suit unique local conditions by providing both predictability and flexibility.
Overcoming Obstacles in the Transition to Form Based Coding
When transitioning to form-based codes, municipalities often face resistance from stakeholders accustomed to conventional zoning methods. Integrating form-based codes with existing plans and regulations may require significant review and revision of those documents to ensure consistency.
Developing a comprehensive form-based code calls for considerable community engagement, making the process lengthy and potentially costly but resulting in more tailored codes. Form-based codes require continued implementation efforts, including compliance monitoring and collaboration with property owners for targeted projects to produce transformative urban change.
Measuring Success: Evaluating the Impact of Form Based Codes
Form based codes are designed to achieve integrated and focused urban planning that enhances community character. Quantitative analyses of trends in land values, tax revenues, rents, and demographics help in evaluating the effectiveness of form-based code. Qualitative evaluations of form-based code derive from assessing stakeholder interviews and public response to assess changes in the built environment and public realm.
Longitudinal comparisons between areas governed by form-based cods and those regulated by conventional codes indicate the long-term economic contributions of adopting form-based codes.
How Bret Jones PA Can Help
Need Help? Bret Jones PA Legal team of real estate lawyers specializes in assisting you with your form based code implementation. Whether you are a municipality wanting to implement form based code or you are a real estate developer trying to navigate them in your current or upcoming project, Bret Jones PA has the expertise to guide you through the regulatory maze.
With a deep understanding of the nuances of urban planning and legal requirements, our team provides comprehensive support to ensure that your projects comply with form based code while fulfilling your development objectives. Our services include legal consultation, document preparation, and representation in negotiations related to form based code.
- Mastery in Form-Based Regulation: Our firm’s expertise in form-based codes means we have a nuanced grasp of the complexities involved in land development laws and form based zoning, with a particular focus on physical structure over traditional zoning.
- Regulatory Drafting and Analysis: We provide drafting, analysis, and revision services for form-based codes to ensure they meet all legal standards while effectively serving planning goals.
- Tailored Code Crafting: In collaboration with city planners, municipalities, and developers, we assist in the creation of customized form-based codes that accurately reflect the unique identity and goals of communities or development projects.
- Ensuring Legal Conformity: A fundamental aspect of our legal services is to ensure that form-based codes comply with fundamental legal principles, including due process, equal protection, and property rights.
- Conflict Resolution: Our firm offers legal support and advice in resolving conflicts that arise from form-based codes, including zoning disputes, requests for variances, and development approvals.
- Community Outreach and Instruction: We take on the task of informing various stakeholders about the legal ramifications and benefits of form-based codes, using educational initiatives and community outreach.
- Representation and Negotiation: During discussions with planning boards, neighborhood associations, and other involved parties, we represent our clients’ interests to ensure that issues are considered and agreement is reached on the provisions of form-based codes.
- Litigation Assistance: If legal challenges or court cases emerge from the implementation of form-based codes, we offer extensive litigation assistance, including legal research, drafting of briefs, and courtroom support.
- Cross-Disciplinary Cooperation: Our collaborative efforts with urban designers, architects, engineers, and other specialists ensure a multidisciplinary approach to the application of form-based codes, integrating legal considerations with urban planning and design.
- Ongoing Oversight and Revision: We help monitor the effectiveness of form-based codes, identify legal concerns or inconsistencies, and advise on necessary changes or updates to maintain compliance and keep pace with changing community needs and legal landscapes.
Reach out to us for a tailored solution that aligns with your real estate development goals. Our commitment to fostering sustainable and vibrant communities is at the heart of our practice. We understand that navigating the complexities of form based code can be daunting, but with our seasoned professionals, you can confidently move forward with your urban development projects. We’re not just about compliance; we’re about creating value for your projects and enhancing the quality of life in communities. Bret Jones PA is your partner in building a better urban future.
Case Studies: Form Based Code in Action
Case studies from various cities offer a glimpse into the diverse and transformative approaches to urban development through the implementation of form-based code. Some examples include:
- Tehachapi, California, which directs urban development with a general plan form-based code to ensure alignment with the community’s vision
- The Buffalo Green Code, which is a key example in the Congress for the New Urbanism’s reform agenda for utilizing form-based codes
- The Lafayette Downtown Code, which is another key example in the Congress for the New Urbanism’s reform agenda for utilizing form-based codes
These case studies demonstrate the effectiveness of form-based codes in shaping urban development.
Soledad, California’s downtown form-based code aims to guide future development while preserving the town’s unique community character. Incorporating a mix of land uses is a crucial aspect of form-based codes, promoting accessible retail, services, and offices near residential areas to enhance walkability and the use of transit or biking. Beaufort, South Carolina, received an award for its citywide form-based code that endorses smart growth, reshaping the city according to these principles.
From Theory to Practice: Cities Leading the Way
Cities leading the way in form-based code implementation demonstrate the adaptability and effectiveness of these codes in shaping urban landscapes. Form-based codes are adaptable to cities of all sizes and have been effectively applied in municipalities, including:
- Beaufort
- Bellevue
- Soledad
- Tehachapi
These cities have used form-based codes to preserve local character and facilitate growth.
Arlington County in Virginia exemplifies a city that has embraced form-based codes to guide urban transformation. Through the implementation of form-based codes, Arlington County has successfully redeveloped Columbia Pike into a dynamic and walkable mixed-income community with varied restaurants, businesses, and public spaces.
Lessons Learned: Best Practices and Pitfalls
Lessons learned from form-based code implementation include:
- Best practices and potential pitfalls
- The importance of custom zoning regulations
- Increased walkability and mixed-use development
- More effective design and functionality alignment with the area’s vision
Form-based codes have been instrumental in Arlington County’s efforts to mould their urban landscape to meet community goals. Custom applications of form-based codes for different development areas, like commercial and residential zones in Arlington County, showcase the benefits of this approach.
Smaller communities benefit from the adoption of form-based codes as they are simpler to implement and administer, providing a more efficient route to urban development compared to larger cities.
Areas with challenging terrains or irregular street patterns demand a highly adaptable approach to form-based codes to adequately meet the unique local landscape conditions, taking into account abstract and uncoordinated parameters.
Aligning Design and Sustainability: Form Based Codes and Environmental Considerations
Form-based codes can enhance urban sustainability by addressing environmental concerns such as flooding, heat island effect, and green infrastructure. Environmental resource standards within form-based codes include regulations for storm water drainage and infiltration to promote sustainable urban development.
Incorporating landscaping standards in form-based codes affects environmental concerns through the regulation of design and choice of plant materials for private property, enhancing public spaces with parking lot shading and other screenings. Arlington County illustrates how form-based codes can synergize affordable housing and energy efficiency, demonstrating a successful integration of sustainability into zoning reforms.
Beyond Aesthetics: Economic and Social Benefits of Form Based Codes
Form-based codes offer economic and social benefits beyond aesthetics. They are associated with:
- Better economic performance in communities
- Positive trends in land values, tax revenues, rents, and demographics
- Eliminating barriers to affordable housing by allowing various housing types and scales, which encourages infill development.
By promoting more compact settlement patterns, form-based codes foster inclusivity and diversity, as various types of housing and businesses can coexist in closer proximity. Key findings indicate that form-based codes produce not only better economic outcomes but also have positive impacts on equity and smart growth development, supporting their role in achieving equitable developments.
Summary
Form-based codes are more than just a tool for urban planning; they are a transformative approach to shaping our urban landscapes. From prioritizing physical forms to fostering walkability, enhancing community character, and encouraging compact development, these codes offer a fresh perspective on urban planning. Incorporating public participation, aligning design with sustainability, and realizing economic and social benefits, they demonstrate a holistic approach to urban development. The journey of these codes is a testament to the power of community vision and the importance of thoughtful urban design. It’s time to embrace form-based codes, the building blocks of our future urban landscapes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is form-based code different from traditional zoning?
Form-based codes prioritize the form of buildings over land use, believing that building form is more crucial in shaping community character than use.
What are the advantages of using form based codes?
Form-based codes offer several advantages, including regulation of development, predictability of outcomes, simplicity for non-professionals, streamlined permitting, and protection of property values. Overall, they can help in creating more cohesive and attractive communities.
What does form based mean?
Form-based means using physical form as the organizing principle for land development regulations, creating predictable built results and a high-quality public realm. It is a regulation, not just a guideline.
What is an example of a form-based code?
Two leading examples of form-based codes are the Buffalo Green Code and the Lafayette (Kentucky) Downtown Code, which have been widely adopted by local governments in recent years.
What are form-based codes?
Form-based codes are regulations that prioritize physical form over abstract parameters, aiming to create cohesive urban environments.