In most of the US and Canada, walkability is categorically zoned out. Most of our historic neighbourhoods are “legal, non-conforming” making new neighbourhoods out of character with historic stock, as well as out of line with market demands for walkable places.
The zoning and subdivision laws that govern the majority of this continent require these auto-centric development patterns, that have proven increasingly unhealthy for the people, planet, and profit. A wide variety of interventions are underway to try to reverse this. Some of these are extensive, and others could be called highly effective baby steps ... 1. Change set-backs to build-to lines / 2. Put parking either on-street or out back
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Form-Based Codes take setbacks and parking to the next level, creating legal frameworks that are more about form, less about use. More about all modes of transportation – car, bus, bike, foot – so more about connected, active, healthy neighbourhoods. Form-based codes put a mixture of compatible uses in a market-responsive format. Plus, these zoning and subdivision regs are user-friendly with graphics and maps.
So what are the steps to implementing an effective Form-Based Code? It’s different in every place, depending on what tools are currently in use. A somewhat exhaustive list includes:
- Articulate a Vision: comprehensive plan sets policies for compact growth.
- Sector Plan: this regional plan, as part of the comprehensive plan, indicates intended growth and controlled growth as well as preserved areas.
- Urban Preference Survey: collects community and market preference for various built forms.
- Synoptic Survey: measures a range of character zones where neighborhoods are performing well to deliver health, equity and resilience.
- Equivalency Tables: translates the current use-based zoning categories into character-based zones, simplifying and consolidating duplicate zones as well as creating ranges of acceptable character to create flexibility in a changing marketplace.
- Illustrative Sites: choose sites that are not delivering for the people, planet, or profit and show how extracting great local character and enabling it by right could develop these sites, showing illustrative plans, sample zoning map, and hand-drawn illustrations.
- Form-Based Code Text and Graphics: to deliver walkable neighborhoods that are complete, compact, connected, complex, and convivial.
- Implement the Vision: decide implementation strategy: floating overlay zone; applied to intended growth areas; or applied citywide?
- Retrofit the Public Realm: as long as the implementation strategy is not sprawl repair, the public realm retrofits may be somewhat minimal. However, most local street sections need adjustment, as overly wide, fast roads are a challenging to walkable places. Most conventional street design standards deliver links, not places.
- Administration: Keep it simple, intuitive, user-friendly. And most importantly, transparent and streamlined.