Albuquerque's new "form-based codes" could offer city planners another model for denser, more pedestrian-friendly growth.
"Depending on whom you talk to, five new zoning codes currently being considered by Albuquerque's Environmental Planning Commission are either a positive step forward, toward less sprawl and more transit-oriented development, or they're potentially a Trojan horse that will allow developers to more easily deviate from existing neighborhood sector plans.
The new codes are called "form-based," which is a wonky way to describe a new way of regulating how the city develops.
Instead of focusing on how land can be used, as traditional zoning does, form-based zones regulate the form and type of a building, and how it relates to the street and the surrounding neighborhood in general.
The idea is that the encouragement of a certain type of built environment will create mixed-use, pedestrian friendly and transit oriented development, which Albuquerque's long-range plans call for."
FULL STORY: Green growth gambit
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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.
City of Albany
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