Coding for Character: Doing Away With the Zoned Out Nature of Cities

What's keeping the historic parts of your city or town from staying up-to-date and well-loved? Usually, the laws.

1 minute read

October 6, 2015, 6:00 AM PDT

"In most of the US and Canada, walkability is categorically zoned out. Most of our historic neighbourhoods are 'legal, non-compliant' making new neighbourhoods out of character with historic stock, as well as out of line with market demands for walkable places."

Hazel Borys talks about some baby steps to legalize walkability:

1. Define the A-Grid and B-Grid

2. Change set-backs to build-to lines

3. Put parking either on-street or out back

Then she continues with a longer list for more holistic interventions, using some pics from Fargo to explain.

Part of the A-Grid in downtown Fargo. Image credit: Hazel Borys, Creative Commons Share-Alike with Attribution License

FULL STORY: Coding for Character: Doing away with the zoned out nature of our cities

Monday, October 5, 2015 in PlaceShakers

Community / Economic Development Environment Government / Politics Land Use Social / Demographics Urban Development World Euclidean Zoning Fargo Form-Based Code Hazel Borys Las Cruces Ranson West Virginia Resilience Sonia Hirt Sustainability Zoned in the USA Zoning zoning overlay Zoning Reform View More

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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