Building Support for Form-Based Comprehensive Plans
Congress for the New Urbanism – June 11, 2009
Attempts to develop with emphasis on character and form will always be compromised if the community does not plan for character and form.
Ironically, likely need some form-based development to help community make the leap to infusing the plan with form.
Education and Cultural Change Evolution of Community PlanningEvolution of Zoning
Education and Cultural Change
Basics of Community PlanningForm & Character MatterForm & Character VaryNewer Themes – Regionalism and Sustainability
Basics of Community Planning
What makes a “complete community”?Employment and services in proximity to housingHousing choiceTransportation choiceRecreational opportunities
Land Use Policy ApplicationPrimary focus on Land Use and Density
LUPA
Form & Character Matters
Urban Design Overlay (UDO)
“Overlay” on base zoning, which controls usesRegulates form, not useNo variances, limited opportunity to modify
Evolution of Zoning Tools
West End Park
UDO Concept Plan
GENERAL
CENTER
CORE
31st Avenue
Long Blvd
I-440
West End Park21 new buildings since 20046 projects in design development
West End Park UDOWest End Park UDO
East NashvilleDNDPNeighborhoods
East NashvilleDetailed Land Use Policies
Development Scenario:McFerrin/West Eastland/Chicamauga Area
Form & Character Varies
Transect Methodology
The TransectA tool for understanding, categorizing, and designing the natural and build environment from rural to urban.
Encourages diversity of development rather than homogeneity.
Different transect categories can sit side by side,
but within any transect category, all elements of development should be consistent.
Natural
Rural
Suburban
Urban
Center
Core
Nashville -Davidson County Transect
Combining the Transect and Form
Community Character Manual (CCM) – 2008 Reference guide for all Community Character Policies
Community Character PoliciesTo preserve community characterChanges emphasis from land use and density to the form and characterProvides clear urban design guidance
What is Community Character?
The quality of a community as defined by its:built environment;natural features and open space; infrastructure, public facilities and services; and public realm – the character of its roadways and streetscape.
T3 Suburban Neighborhood
• Moderate to deep setbacks
• Informal landscaping
• Shoulder and swale, likely no sidewalk
• Larger lots and smaller building footprint
• Moderate connectivity, often with curvilinear streets
• Shallow setbacks
• Formal landscaping
• Curb and gutter with sidewalk
• Smaller lots and larger building footprint
• High connectivity with linear streets, shorter block lengths and complete grid
T4 Urban Neighborhood
Downtown Community Plan: 2007
Zoning compared to the Plan
Existing Zoning Envisioned Neighborhoods
The Downtown Code
Building Regulations
Site Example – DTC zoning
StreetStre
etAlley
Alley
Height determined by number of stories - No FAR or Sky Exposure Plane
CF zoning
Newest Emphasis – Regionalism and Sustainability
Regional Context – Transportation and Land Use
Regional Context – Open Space Preservation
SustainabilityTimeframe
Economic, environmental and social
Think regionally
Broad Definition of Stakeholders
Current ChallengesDiscussing full impact of sustainability and regionalism
Getting ahead of the market
Getting ahead of the audience
Jennifer CarlatMetro Nashville/Davidson County [email protected]/mpc