A Discussion On New Urbanism

The City of Palo Alto publishes a fascinating discussion paper about new urbanism and zoning.

1 minute read

February 19, 2002, 8:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"The Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan embraces many of the principles that are associated with the new urbanism, although it does not explicitly use that term. There are a number of related terms that are often used almost interchangeably, including "neotraditional" planning, "smart growth," and "traditional neighborhood development." For purposes of this discussion paper, the term "new urbanism" will be used, in large part because it has been defined in the Charter of the New Urbanism, which is attached as Appendix A and will be discussed below. The Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan suggests the City consider using "form codes," a type of zoning regulation that emphasizes building types rather than land uses, and which can be used to implement new urbanism."

Thanks to The Practice of New Urbanism

Saturday, February 16, 2002 in City Of Palo Alto, California

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 18, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Two people walking away from camera through pedestrian plaza in street in Richmond, Virginia with purple and white city bus moving in background.

Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA

The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.

June 17, 2025 - WRIC

Woman and young girl looking at subway map, woman pointing.

Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?

Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.

June 9, 2025 - John Pobojewski

Close-up of yellow and black goldspotted oak borer beetle on blade of grass.

Southern Californians Survey Trees for Destructive Oak Pest

Hundreds of volunteers across five counties participated in the first Goldspotted Oak Borer Blitz, surveying oak trees for signs of the invasive beetle and contributing valuable data to help protect Southern California’s native woodlands.

30 minutes ago - UC ANR Green Blog

New five-story apartment building under construction.

Opinion: How Geothermal HVAC Lowers Costs, Improves Grid Resilience

Geothermal heating and cooling systems can reduce energy costs and dramatically improve efficiency.

2 hours ago - Greater Greater Washington

Close-up on clipboard with pre-tenancy application and red pen.

Tenant Screening: A Billion-Dollar Industry with Little Oversight. What’s Being Done to Protect Renters?

Reports show that the data tenant screening companies use is often riddled with errors and relies on information that has no bearing on whether someone will be a good tenant.

4 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine