After many years of development, the SmartCode

After many years of development, the SmartCode finally has arrived (see December 2002 New Urban News). The SmartCode is the culmination of years of work by leading new urbanists Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co. (DPZ), and its release has been anticipated for at least two years. It is worth the wait. Full of wisdom on urban design and written in elegantly spare language, the code is based on the Transect, a system of classification that arranges urban elements on a rural to urban gradient. The Transect has six tiers (plus a separate category for special-use districts), which allow for zoning that regulates character and intensity of development, as opposed to zoning which separates uses. The SmartCode is available from Municipal Code Corporation, also known as Municode (www.municode.com).