New CNU/APA book charts clear course through zoning reform

Zoning codes are like the DNA of the built environment – unseen but hugely influential in determining shape and function. As long as conventional, mid-20th century codes remain the law, as they do in most communities in the country, they effectively prevent the creation of New Urbanism. Set to debut at the 12th Congress for the New Urbanism this summer, the CNU-authored book Codifying New Urbanism offers local governments – and the professionals and advocates that interact with them – a blueprint for removing these obstacles. It explores the many ways that governments can amend conventional zoning codes to turn new urbanist visions into reality. The book pairs an important message with a strong messenger. CNU partnered on the project with the American Planning Association, which is publishing the book as part of its Plan Advisory Report series. That guarantees Codifying New Urbanism distribution to the series’ 1,400 subscribers, most of which are local governments. The book deserves an even broader audience. Its succinct description of the problems with typical regulations and the tenets of new urban codes — as well as its step-by-step approach to zoning reform — make it an excellent handbook for the task of improving communities. An ideal gift for a citizen member of a planning board, it also has content that will appeal to veteran new urbanists, particularly its case studies. Codifying New Urbanism is the product of a multi-year effort by CNU’s Planners’ Task Force. The project was initiated under task force cochair Rick Bernhardt, head of the Metro Planning Department of Nashville-Davidson County and then-cochair Gianni Longo of ACP-Visioning & Planning. Current cochair Paul Crawford of Crawford Multari & Clark Associates was one of a group of reviewers who contributed to the work. The principal authors are task force member Joel Russell of Joel Russell Associates and CNU Director of Research Ellen Greenberg. The task force decided early on to focus on municipal land development regulations, with the objective of creating a useful work for people who create and implement zoning. Seven objectives Chapter 1 outlines seven zoning objectives that synthesize the principles of the Charter of the New Urbanism, starting with the sine qua non, “allowing a diverse mix of uses to create vitality and bring many activities of daily life within walking distance of homes.” Chapter 2 — Putting New Urbanism to Work — provides a step-by-step guide to zoning code reform. Short of rewriting zoning regulations entirely, municipalities may pursue area-specific regulations, such as planned-unit-developments (PUDs), traditional neighborhood developments (TNDs), and strategic regulatory interventions, which legalize what is good in a community and use it to seed the spread of urbanism. The authors also make a strong case for broader reform. They point out that at smaller scales, change requires reforming zoning codes, but the achievement of important regional goals — encouraging infill development over peripheral growth, organizing exurban growth as distinct towns and villages — requires approaches that exceed the scope of conventional zoning. For example, communities such as Cornelius and Davidson in suburban Charlotte, North Carolina have worked cooperatively to adopt new urbanist codes that mesh to achieve regional goals. Codifying New Urbanism examines a full range of new urbanist zoning systems. From San Antonio, there’s the adoption of a unified development code, which permits conventional subdivisions but removes barriers to the creation of traditional, mixed-use neighborhoods. From Petaluma, California, comes a transect-based code that provides for distinct zones ranging from T4 through T6, with densities rising as open space is preserved. And from Huntersville, North Carolina, and Arlington County, Virginia, there are successful experiences with transit-oriented-development standards and form-based coding. With more than a half-dozen other diverse examples, the book offers approaches to fit every setting. Watch for opportunities to purchase Codifying New Urbanism at CNU XII, and subsequently at www.cnu.org. — Reported by Ben Chandler