• 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

  • Where are building types needed in land-use codes?

    Regulation of building types helps to provide predictability and clearly articulate the intended outcomes in many kinds of walkable neighborhoods, but they are not helpful everywhere.
    As I wrote in May , building types are important in land-use regulations for many reasons. Now, let’s explore where they are needed. This post focuses on where building types are most effective, where they could be helpful but aren’t necessary, and where they are not necessary and should not be...Read more