Form Based Codes: A Guide for Planners, Urban Designers, Municipalities and Developers

Form-based codes are the latest evolutionary step in the practice of development and land-use regulation. A growing alternative to conventional zoning laws, form-based codes go beyond land use to address not just the physical form of buildings but also surrounding streets, blocks and public spaces in order to create, protect and revitalize sustainable communities.

Written by three recognized leaders in the field of New Urbanism, including an urban planner and an architect, Form Based Codes: A Guide for Planners, Urban Designers, Municipalities and Developers is the first to address this subject comprehensively.

After defining form-based codes and explaining why they are a necessary alternative to conventional zoning regulations, the authors detail the various components of form-based codes and then go step by step through the process of creating and implementing them. Finally, a series of case studies illustrates best practice applications of form-based coding at various scales from county-wide to site specific, and various project types from city-wide development code replacement to the preservation or evolution of downtowns.

This timely and accessible text features:

• More than 200 clear illustrations of Form-Based Codes
• Studies of real-world applications of Form-Based Coding by leading planners, urban designers and architects

Form Based Codes: A Guide for Planners, Urban Designers, Municipalities and Developers is a must-read for today's urban designers, urban planners, architects and anyone with a vested interest in utilizing the latest regulatory tool to help create compact, walkable and sustainable communities.