Land development code city of Austin

1. “Code-next” – EMLK Contact
Team
Pinaki Ghosh, May. 2018
Chairman EMLK Combined Planning Area Contact Team

2. Topics
• Separation of Concerns
• McMansion Ordinance and Form based code
• Inspection with a form based code
• Code-next and Risks

3. Code-next – EMLK Comments
Separation of Concerns – code vs. up-zoning
• Rewriting the code to help planners and citizens navigate and make
the development code usable
• Rezoning various parts of the city with new zones/codes but under
existing density model
• Up zoning of various parts of the city

4. McMansion Ordnance has been most influential in shaping our
neighborhoods and it’s a form based code

5. Foundation Assumptions
• A “house” is a product like a car in US with a limited lifespan.
• The price of the house will depend on the quality of the product
based on free market
• Houses are designed by Architects and those designs are approved by
COA for “form”.
• Almost all important internal “functions” of a house are done by
license trades man who are licensed by the city

6. Internal
Functions
Internal
Functions
Lot 1 Lot 2 Lot 3
Internal
Functions
External
Functions
External
Functions
External
Functions
External
Functions
City’s Responsibility
Focus of the city should be external “functions” instead of internal “functions” in absence of specific complains.
Lot envelopLot envelopLot envelop

7. Suggestions at Policy level
• Internal “Functions” and construction details inside the envelop of a
home should be responsibility of license professionals and not city.
• City should focus on inspection of external functions and forms like
run-off, canopy compliance (this can be equitable with infra-
structure).
• External “functions” drive CIP costs for city.
• Code’s prescription of “form” is driver for neighborhood character.
• Preserving the owners equity should be the guiding principle for both
external “form” and “function”.

8. Form based inspection must be automated

9. Code-next and Innovation
• Use of drones and software to measure “form”.
• Use of big-data and AI to compare to codes and standards like “run-
off”.
• This code puts the entry point in the market to a much lower cost -
which means small builders with smaller capital will have less option.
• There should be options like tiny houses, neighborhood RV parks