Denver's Form-Based Code Closer to Approval

Five years in the works, Denver's new zoning code has been introduced. The form-based code now faces a period of public input before its expected approval.

1 minute read

May 27, 2010, 6:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


The new code is replacing the city's much-amended zoning code, which is more than 50 years old.

"City officials and community groups agree that the current code is too complicated, as well as antiquated and inconsistent.

The new code focuses on three areas: taking a context-based approach that organizes neighborhoods by their unique characteristics; a form-based approach that translates written language into graphics and tables; and organizing the overall language to simplify the code, such as placing all procedures and definitions into specific sections.

City planners highlight an emphasis on pedestrian-friendly developments to accommodate the incredible influx in population the region has seen over the past 20 years."

Monday, May 24, 2010 in The Denver Daily News

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