Learn today, plan for tomorrow.
Sign up for news and offers from Planetizen Courses, the online learning platform for planners.
Zoning Changes to Battle 'Slot Homes' in Denver
An unintended consequence of the zoning regulations approved in Denver 2010 zoning code has been the proliferation of "slot homes": like rowhouses but without the street-facing entryways and engagement with the public realm.
"City planners proposed a set of new zoning rules Monday after grappling for more than a year with how to address complaints surrounding the influx of slot homes in fast-redeveloping neighborhoods including Jefferson Park, Five Points and Cherry Creek North," reports Jon Murray.
The primary complaint against slot homes is the lack of street-facing entryways, according to Murray—a design quirk that is not exclusive to Denver.
"Slot homes have drawn the most complaints when developers buy up one or two lots in a residential neighborhood and use zoning allowing rowhouses," according to Murray. "These aren’t traditional rowhomes: The buildings, to some, resemble shoe boxes, with all units built in a structure that’s perpendicular to the street, and often with a drive aisle and garages beneath."
The new zoning rules would amend Denver's 2010 zoning code with "more stringent" regulations on building orientation, setbacks, and height, among other metrics.
Published on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 in
- New Developments Lower Rents in Surrounding Neighborhoods, Study Says
- How Arizona Is Preparing for the Coming Water Shortage
- The Changing Demographics of Denver's Suburbs
- The 'Crisis of Non-Replacement' Undermining Black Neighborhoods
- California Bill Would Eliminate Parking Requirements Near Transit
- Orlando Now Less Affordable than San Francisco
- Bill Requiring Zero-Emissions Car Sales by 2035 Passes New York Legislature
- Is the 'Tragedy of the Commons' a Myth?
- Equity and 'Righting Past Wrongs' to Start the 2021 National Planning Conference
- Two Demographic Firsts, Both Losses, for California
- Rail Deck Park a No-Go in Toronto
- Big Tech Flirts With Community Development
- Seeking Public Input on Regional and Rural Park Needs
- If You Build It, Cars Will Come: the Common-Sense Logic of 'Induced Demand'
- Pandemic Paradox: World's Most Vaccinated Country Also the Most Infected
- Recovery Fund Aims to Save Live Music Venues
- Building on Recent Planning Success in Akron
- The Housing Supply Debate: Evaluating the Evidence
- State Legislation Would Make Louisiana a 'Fossil Fuel Sanctuary State'
- Arizona Legislators Want to Ship Mississippi River Stormwater to the Colorado River
