A Small Town Makes its First Zoning Update Since 1997

Mixed-use development and a floodplain overlay are the big-ticket items when the small community of Akron Borough in Pennsylvania recently updated its zoning code.

1 minute read

July 5, 2023, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


The view down Main Street in Akron, Ohio

Main Street in Akron, Pennsylvania. | Andrew Bossi / Wikimedia Commons

The Borough Council in Akron Borough, Pennsylvania, a small community of just over 4,000 residents, recently approved the city’s first update to its zoning ordinance since 1997, with two big cutting related to the separate issues of commercial zoning to flood management.

According to an article by Larry Alexander, the majority of the changes approved by the city council updated definitions, including changes to mixed-use provisions in the city’s C1 commercial districts. “Primarily this ordinance addresses potential uses involving the Ten Thousand Villages building. The ordinance now will allow for some retail ‘providing they meet certain criteria,’” writes Alexander, quoting Assistant Borough Manager Sean Molchany.

Another change to the city’s zoning includes the creation of a floodplain overlay for all R1 residential properties located in a floodplain.

The source article, linked below, includes descriptions of some of the additional changes approved by the city.

Sunday, July 2, 2023 in Lancaster Online

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Metrorail train pulling into newly opened subterranean station in Washington, D.C. with crowd on platform taking photos.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”

The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

June 2, 2025 - The Hill

Large crowd on street in San Francisco, California during Oktoberfest festival.

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns

In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

June 2, 2025 - Robbie Silver

Bird's eye view of studio apartment design.

In These Cities, Most New Housing is Under 441 Square Feet

With loosened restrictions on “micro-housing,” tiny units now make up as much as 66% of newly constructed housing.

1 hour ago - Smart Cities Dive

Man in teal shirt opening door to white microtransit shuttle with cactus graphics and making inviting gesture toward the camera.

Albuquerque’s Microtransit: A Planner’s Answer to Food Access Gaps

New microtransit vans in Albuquerque aim to close food access gaps by linking low-income areas to grocery stores, cutting travel times by 30 percent and offering planners a scalable model for equity-focused transit.

June 13 - U.S. Department Of Transportation

Group of people at table set ouf with picnic food on street during a neighborhood block party.

This City Will Pay You to Meet Your Neighbors

A North Kansas City grant program offers up to $400 for residents to throw neighborhood block parties.

June 13 - The Kansas City Star