And an update from Codes Study about the 600 places that really are upping their game with form-based codes.
Hazel Borys and Emily Talen have "just updated the Codes Study, the real life examination of the places where people are starting to change the ways cities are put together, by prioritizing walking and biking, over driving. These cities have legalized a mixture of compatible uses – something that’s been generally illegal to build for the last two generations. These mixed uses are allowed, provided the form of the building fits in with the character of the block. That’s why we call them form-based codes instead of use-based codes."
"Not all form-based codes in the Codes Study are created equal. Some are short and sweet. Others are long and comprehensive. Some are clear and direct, while others are complicated. But all of them have something to teach us about making our places livable and resilient."
Borys goes on to talk about 3 things that are essential in form-based codes, using SimCity as an illustrator.
SimCity Screen Grab: No Parking in the First Layer, Please
Read the full story: SimCity Adopts a Form-Based Code?
Codes Study: Trends in Zoning Reform
The Codes Study is updated! These are the cities that are rewriting their land use laws to promote wellness, economic strength, and environmental resilience.
Code Score: A New Aid for Aligning Policy and Vision With Outcomes
A compendium of benefits of walkable urban places, put together by Hazel Borys and Kaid Benfield.
The Codes Study Is Updated
618 form-based codes made it on the latest Codes Study. The authors are requesting your additions to the update.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades
The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.
'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide
Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.
Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
International law says that the Indigenous people of America’s territories have a right to prior and informed consent regarding projects that impact their countries.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello