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 Planningjennifer.carlat@nashville.govwww.nashville.gov/mpc