To the editor,
In my September viewpoint in the Herald,
I discussed a bad result of our zoning code. I called for a form-based zoning code or in-depth reform of our current zoning code.
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Now, I want to lay out what these choices mean.
Form-based codes are defined as “a land development regulation that fosters predictable built results and a high-quality public realm by using physical form (rather than separation of uses) as the organizing principle for the code.” As you can imagine, there’s a wide range that form-based codes can take. For example, you could set up a 3-tiered code, which has suburban development capped at a 25 foot build height, middle density at 50 foot and downtown density with no limit. Within neighborhoods, you could add other requirements like tree density or construction materials. An important distinction between our current code and a form-based code is that you don’t dictate land uses or unit density. Importantly, you allow the development of things like cornerstores and quadplexes while remaining within set build heights. This allows for more gradual densification and walkability.
Another way to ease our housing crisis is by reforming current ...