Trends & Themes

New Urbanism, Smart Growth, Sustainable Design, Green Buildings, Inclusionary Zoning – these phrases and more are making their way into the vocabulary of design and urban planning professionals, as well as developers and contractors, elected officials and citizens. Concerns about urban sprawl, over-reliance on fossil fuels, traffic congestion, lack of affordable housing, and even global warming are changing the way we think about cities, how we plan for neighborhood revitalization, and how we design new buildings.

New Urbanism, Smart Growth, Sustainable Design, Green Buildings and Inclusionary Zoning are emerging trends in planning, design and development. And, many of these trends are being incorporated into zoning codes. As cities revise and modernize their old codes, transit-oriented development, increased attention to design, and preserving the character of older neighborhoods are common themes in zoning reform.

To get you started with this new vocabulary, ZoningMatters.org provides you with a brief summary of some of the most common zoning trends and themes to give you a basic understanding of the phrases. Please note that many of these new concepts are related and complimentary. And, the terms are often used interchangeably.

A sampling of website links are also provided to help you learn more about each of these topics. There is a wealth of information on the internet about these ideas, and in some instances there are some spirited debates about these zoning matters.