The city hopes the templates, along with other incentive programs, will spur more housing construction on its vacant lots while maintaining neighborhood character and streamlining the development process.
A program that offers pre-approved development templates to South Bend developers provides a positive model for how cities can streamline the development process and encourage small developers to build more housing, writes Daniel Herriges in Strong Towns.
The plans, developed with the help of incremental developers and design experts, are specifically crafted for South Bend’s existing neighborhoods, where they fit the current zoning rules, lot sizes and shapes, and market conditions, and nod to the city’s historic architectural vernacular.
City officials hope this will help fill the hundreds of vacant lots languishing in the city and lower construction and permitting costs for builders. “The city, in return, gets a predictable form of development that is aesthetically compatible and can be replicated at scale.”
By updating and simplifying its zoning code, providing Sears catalog-style templates for construction, and investing in programs like a $20,000 sewer hookup rebate that ease the cost burden of building new homes, the city of just over 100,000 offers a model for streamlining development and encouraging affordable, site-appropriate, housing construction in its neighborhoods.
While some critics may deride such “cookie-cutter” development, Herriges points out that the South Bend model shows that templates don’t have to be bland, universalized, or lacking in context. And, Herriges points out, “if you want to produce a lot of really attractive cookies in a short amount of time, a cookie cutter is a fantastic tool for the job.”
FULL STORY: Pre-Approved House Designs Jump-Start Infill Development in South Bend
The Vanishing American ‘Starter Home’
Rising land costs, expensive materials, and onerous building and lot size requirements are making it harder to build small, affordable ‘starter homes’ in the United States.
South Bend’s Infill Plans Include Pre-Approved Multi-Family Designs
South Bend commits to infill development by pre-approving a suite of residential development options.
Seattle Works To Revise Comprehensive Plan
The city has developed five concepts for updating its comprehensive plan to increase density and reverse the legacy of exclusionary zoning.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie