• In praise of the existing building code

    These are buildings with tremendous intrinsic value that have been standing and functioning for over a hundred years, but are technically unusable according to current building codes.
    We are very big fans of the International Existing Building Code. This is a very special code that allows for flexibility in renovating and reusing existing buildings. One major challenge with any new code is that existing buildings often don’t meet new requirements. Retrofitting existing buildings...Read more

  • Zoning reform is national priority, White House says

    Administration calls for local laws to allow accessory dwelling units and denser development and eliminate off-street parking requirements, among other changes.
    The Obama Administration is calling on cities and towns to reform land-use regulations to allow denser development by right while recommending actions that new urbanists have long supported. The administration released a “ toolkit ” on housing development that recommends eliminating off-street...Read more

  • Top 10 misconceptions about form-based codes

    Several common assumptions about new urban codes fail to stand up to scrutiny.
    Since 1981, approximately 600 form-based codes (FBCs) have been prepared for communities across the US, and 362 of them have been adopted. Most of the adoptions have taken place in the past 10 years. But as exciting as that may be, what’s more exciting is that these numbers are miniscule when you...Read more

  • Strategies for project review under a form-based code

    While many cities and towns have determined that they need not have additional project review for development that conforms with the code, others are establishing or streamlining project review systems.
    Form Based Codes (FBCs) allow communities to implement a plan for quality placemaking with a by-right development code, instead of a complicated discretionary design review process. Communities are selecting form-based codes to replace conventional zoning in downtowns and neighborhood centers, not...Read more