The prior code, adopted in 1962 and amended with with nearly 1,000 ad-hoc revisions since then, required a strict separation of uses and outlawed the classic Philadelphia rowhouse typology.
According to David Morley, writing for the APA Sustaining Places blog, the prior code was also seen as a major barrier to investment. The new code, nearly five years in the making, has been streamlined and is geared towards encouraging sustainability, protecting neighborhoods, and promoting quality and design.
While a successful document in many ways, Morley finds it somewhat odd that zoning reform will be enacted ahead of completion of the city's concurrent comprehensive planning effort: the Philadelphia 2035 Citywide Vision.
"In some ways, the approach of simultaneous plan making and zoning reform sounds ideal. The time for completing both projects is shorter and there were many opportunities for participants to see relationships between planning themes and zoning provisions. In other ways, it seems a little strange. The planning team and the zoning team operated independently, and specific plan policies generally followed the development of specific zoning standards, rather than vice versa."
FULL STORY: Promoting Sustainability through Zoning Reform in Philadelphia
Neighborhood Rezoning Proposal at Odds With Philadelphia's Comprehensive Plan
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‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
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Montreal’s Gorilla Park Repurposes Defunct Railway Track
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Art in Action: USC Event Calls for an Urgent Green Energy Transition
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Safe Parking Programs Help People Access Housing
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Study: Single-Staircase Buildings Pose No Additional Risks
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research