Zoning and Planning Ideas from Elsewhere

October 7, 2007

Public input is sought for an overhaul now under way. The impact will be felt for generations.

Miami – From sprawlage to village In Miami, a three-year project will replace the city's old, sprawl-generating code with a new model, called "Miami 21." The buzzword for the new code is "form-based." It aims to create compact, traditional neighborhoods with building forms that provide a coherent public realm. Famed New Urbanist architect Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, a Main Line native, argues that form-based zoning can retrofit Miami with the atmosphere of an urban village. http://www.miami21.org

Denver - Props for process Already renowned for its redeveloped LoDo (lower downtown) warehouse district, Denver launched a three-step regional planning campaign that is a model for citizen engagement. It started with Plan 2000, shaped by 11 citizen task forces. Next came "Blueprint Denver," a land-use and transportation plan. These set up step three, the zoning-code revision that is happening now. Throughout, Denver planners used listening sessions, open houses and a Web site to keep the public on board. http://www.denvergov.org/ZoningSimplification/HomePage/tabid/396395/Default.aspx

Boston - A custom-made city Rather than allow politicians to tweak neighborhood zoning at will, Boston invites neighborhoods to customize their own zoning district to match neighborhood goals. Intense civic involvement means this takes four years per neighborhood, with regular meetings of a citizen advisory committee guided by planners from the Boston Redevelopment Authority. They've been at it since 1989, with immense public support. http://cityofboston.gov/bra/zoning/zoning.asp