• How to use building types in zoning

    Building types are useful in defining a variety of house-scale buildings in a mixed neighborhood, and where neighborhoods are near main streets. Here's how to apply them.
    This is Part Three of a three-part series. Building types can be useful in form-based codes to enable a fine–grained mix of buildings of varied density and type in walkable neighborhoods. The approach of using building types is also effective in situations where permit streamlining is required and...Read more

  • Code organizes growth into walkable neighborhoods

    A large new development area in Missoula, Montana, will be built out according to new urban principles.
    The City of Missoula recently adopted a master plan and form-based code for a new growth area that could accommodate about half of the city’s growth in the next 15 years. The Mullan area, larger than Missoula’s downtown, is located just west of the city and southeast of the regional airport. The...Read more

  • The New Urbanism influence on Oregon’s pioneering zoning reforms

    The State of Oregon adopted significant zoning changes in 2019 that allow two-unit structures across most of the state, and three-unit housing on lots in larger communities. “This doesn’t ‘abolish the suburbs,’ but it does ensure that a wider variety of house types are available in a wider range of...Read more

  • Green Code spurs historic rehab, economic development

    One of the few form-based codes to be applied citywide in a regional major city, Buffalo’s ordinance is having a positive impact on neighborhoods and downtown.
    Buffalo’s Green Code, a form-based code (FBC) that eliminated off-street parking requirements, has now been operating for almost four years. While the Green Code has enabled some new mixed-use infill development, its biggest impact is in facilitating the rehabilitation of historic buildings in a...Read more