This proposal aims to preserve Asheville's local culture while making it a more sustainable city through implementing a form-based code zoning overlay for downtown Asheville. This would create an environment for living, working and playing in a localized economy. The form-based code would balance development and affordability by setting clear guidelines for developers. It would also ignite community discussions about the future of downtown. The proposal seeks to reverse gentrification trends by requiring architectural quality, promoting walkability and mixing uses while respecting the city's character.

1. Abstract of policy proposal:
This proposal is aimed at preserving the local culture of Asheville all the while positioning our
special community to become the most sustainable city on the East Coast. Implementing a form-
base code zoning overlay for target areas in the downtown Asheville corridor is an opportunity to
create a place for residents to live, work, & play in a sustainable localized economy. Achieving
these objectives in the smoothest, most cost effective way possible will be with form-based code
for the downtown Asheville corridor.
Problem overview:
Currently the City of Asheville faces mass gentrification which has caused a desperate need for
affordable housing near the city center. With the current influx of outsider development and
investment (Anthropologie, Urban OutFitters, hotels… and many others) in downtown Asheville
we are seeing a significant rise in the cost of having a business. As a result there is less local
investment and more generic low-income wage jobs. This proposal seeks to begin reversing this
trend. UNchainAVL, a local movement aimed at promoting living wage and to prevent any large
corporate brands to operate in downtown Asheville, has gained large local support. With
Formed-based overlay we can provide an environment where locals and outside investors can
prosper together and in abundance, creating opportunity for everyone.
1. New downtown design guidelines worth considering:
The current design guidelines recommend that a building’s essential original design
characteristics should be respected, and that themed designs that don’t respect the
original character should be avoided unless the façade is “lacking in historical
significance or architectural detail.” Why isn’t modernism recognized as having historical
value? –Mtn Xpress Feb 2016
2. Make downtown design guidelines mandatory:
We could ensure the socially and environmentally sustainable mix of imaginatively
postmodern and respectfully retro new building designs most Ashevilleans say they want
— but only if we require it, by making compliance with our current Downtown Design
Guidelines mandatory instead of voluntary.
–Mtn Xpress Mar 2016
3. City should demand architectural quality in important projects:
Almost all of Asheville’s more recent buildings reflect a seemingly uncaring and
submissive acceptance of architectural sham. BB&T’s banal wallpaper facade is just the
latest example of the diminution of Asheville’s unique sense of place. In a smaller, less
significant building, perhaps such a design might not matter that much, but BB&T’s size
and location make it matter a lot. If BB&T’s Las Vegas-like “makeover” is irreversible,
then shame on Asheville for failing to grasp a rare opportunity to positively reshape its
core image. –Mtn Xpress Mar 2016
4. As one local put it, “Asheville’s actual art deco buildings shine like gems within the
matrix of other styles that enfold them.” This is one of many features that attracts
tourism by the millions from all over the globe. Asheville is one of the few American
cities praised by major European critics. After all, they call us the Paris of the South
don’t they?

2. When using a form-based code, we place the emphasis on the “form” of a structure rather that “use”
and “density” (i.e. commercial, industrial, residential, etc.)1
Proposed Solution:
This proposal is aimed at preserving the local culture of Asheville all the while positioning our
special community to become the most sustainable city on the East Coast. Implementing a form-
base code overlay for the downtown Asheville corridor is an opportunity to create a place for
residents to live, work, & play in a sustainable localized economy. We can achieve this by
requiring all commercial developers and businesses operating in the downtown area (including
government), where feasible, to preserve & enhance existing buildings, structures and
greenspaces; ensure a high quality of development for new structures; and to ensure adequate
distribution of height and mass. Part of the form component will be to ensure walkability by
creating a built environment that encourages pedestrian usage. One popular way of doing so
with form-based code is to require that buildings front the street so pedestrians feel that the
buildings are meant for their use and so that they are not always wading across parking lots.
New environmental protection standards will also overlay current ordinances. For example, by
promoting new improved pollution and waste prevention programs, we can move Asheville
closer to being a No Waste City. Lastly, another priority will also be building partnerships for
conservation and restoration of our natural resources.
1. What is Form Based Code:
 It is addressing the buildings as they come together, as they assemble to create public
space. –Dan Slone, FBCI
 The character of the place that matters most, that comes from design. Not land use.
–Victor Dover, FBCI
 With a Form-based Code you have the opportunity to not only create a better code, but
to significantly improve planning. –Peter Park, FBCI
A form-based code is a land development regulation that fosters predictable built results and a high-quality public
realm by using physical form (rather than separation of uses) as the organizing principle for the code. A form-based
code is a regulation, not a mere guideline, adopted into city, town, or county law. A form-based code offers a
powerful alternative to conventional zoning regulation (Form Based Codes Institute).
2. Proposal Objectives2
:
 Building Form Standards
Tailors the requirements to it specific places or neighborhoods by reflecting
local architecture and overall character
 Building Type Standards
Emphasizes site design and building form, which will last many years beyond
specific numerical parameters such as density and use regulations that are
likely to change over time
 Building Frontage Standards
1
Montgomery Planning Board:
http://montgomeryplanningboard.org/planning_board_live/excellence_series/khoury.pdf
2
Form-Based Codes: A Step-by-Step Guide for Communities:
http://formbasedcodes.org/content/uploads/2013/11/CMAP-GuideforCommunities.pdf

3. Addresses the design of the public realm and the importance that streetscape
design and individual building character have in defining public spaces and a
special “sense of place”
 Civic Space Standards
Is “proactive,” focusing on what the community wants and not what it dislikes
 Block and Subdivision Standards
Promotes a mix of housing types
 Regulating Plans
Provides information that is easier to use than conventional zoning codes
because it is shorter, more concise, and emphasizes illustrations over text
 Complete Streets Model
Ensure that the entire right-of-way is planned, designed, constructed, operated,
and maintained to provide safe access for all users3
 Improved local economic development
Encourages a mix of land uses, often reducing the need to travel extensively as
part of one’s daily routine, while creating an environment of opportunity for
local entrepreneurs and outside investors
3. How will the proposal fix the problem:
Form-based code will allow more affordable housing to be created while setting
clear guidelines for developers and city planners. It will also ignite a community
oriented conversation between the citizens, City Officials, and developers about
the future of downtown Asheville. By balancing the cost to benefit ratio,
downtown Asheville can begin moving toward a greener more sustainable
future within the first eighteen months after approval.
4. Existing efforts and parallels
Haywood Road: Form-based code project4
RAD: Form-based code project5
Biltmore Park: an example of how stringent architectural standards have been
successful6
5. Proposal cost:
In Staunton, Virginia the Historic Staunton Foundation offered free design
assistance to any downtown business owner who would restore the façade of
their building. They did this after the city council had rejected a measure to
create an historic district in downtown Staunton. At first, only one business
owner took advantage of the incentive, but then a second business owner
restored his building facade, and then a third, and then many more. Today,
there are five historic districts in Staunton including the entire downtown, but it
all began with an incentive. Not all development is created equal. Some
3
Complete Streets Policy Development 101: Presentation (.pptx): http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-
streets/changing-policy/policy-elements
4
Haywood Road FBC: http://code-studio.com/projects/haywood-road-from-based-code/
5
RAD FBC: https://www.dropbox.com/s/gmoi0gbjpcb4u07/RAD-FBC-DRAFT-March7.pdf?dl=0
6
Biltmore Park FBC: http://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2016/03/01/biltmore-park-near-full-
occupancy-more-building-come/80865298/

4. development projects will make a community a better place to live, work, and
visit. Other development projects will not. (PlannersWeb.com)
There are a number of ways to alleviate costs and not impose tax increases on the community while still
improving. Public Interest Projects, Inc. being one local example. PIP “believes Asheville has the
potential to become a model of… [a] living urban community” (PIP, 2014). “Public and private
partnerships are transforming cities all over America. December 21, 2000, the Community Renewal Tax
Relief Act of 2000 was signed into law. This landmark legislation included the New Markets Tax Credit,
which will spur the investment of $15 billion in new private capital into a range of privately managed
investment vehicles that make loans and equity investments in New Markets businesses” (UDF,2014).
These powerful partnerships are a strong alternative to having to raise taxes on the people of Asheville.
Form-Based Codes are easier to apply consistently and require less oversight than conventional design
guidelines, which are much more subjective, therefore saving both time and money for review and
enforcement.7
6. Is it environmentally sustainable:
According to Webster, the full definition of sustainability is a method of
harvesting or using a resource in a way that does not permanently deplete or
destroy it.
Herman Daly, a pioneer of ecological sustainability defines it as:
 Renewable resource: the rate of harvest should not exceed the rate of
regeneration (sustainable yield) – the proposal aligns with this standard
by requiring the preservation and enhancement of current structures,
buildings and green spaces
 Pollution: the rates of waste generation from projects should not exceed
the assimilative capacity of the environment (sustainable waste
disposal) – the proposal aligns with this standard as long as the No
Waste City program is accepted and implemented: (Ex: pay as you
throw, paying for your garbage by the pound)
 Nonrenewable resources: the depletion of the nonrenewable resources
should require comparable development of renewable substitutes for
that resource (Definition of Environmental Sustainability, 2014) –the
proposal aligns with this standard of definition by providing an incentive
for developers and business owners to install solar panels on their roof
tops. [This would fall under the environmental regulations portion of
the proposal.]
7. Social issues:
1. Affordable housing: currently an issue that can be solved relatively easily
with the Form-based zoning overlay allowing for flexible use in the
downtown corridor
7
Refer to the bottom of section C, p121: http://andoverma.gov/planning/i93/codeinfo.pdf.

5. 2. Reliable Public transit: currently an issue that can be solved with the Form-
based zoning overlay being suggested
3. Pedestrian / Cyclist Friendly: currently a big issue for safety and access that
can be solved with the “Complete Streets” model suggested in this proposal
8. Known supporters and opposition:
Likely opposition: Heavy industry owners and developers8
Likely Support: Local residents, local business owners, environmentalist, and
City officials9
As a result, some landowners and developers will be happy with
the changes because it will mean higher return on investment for their
properties. Lastly, design professionals, as they generally prefer having a clearer
set of rules to work with.
Conclusion:
1. Next Steps10
a. Existing conditions analysis and inventory:
 Using diagrams and notes, a typical analysis will look at:
 Street types (by setback, walkway, roadway, and landscape)
 Block types (shape, size, alleys, parcelization)
 Building types (footprint, profile, street front, and access by car or pedestrian, service
areas)
 Open space types (front, back and side yards, squares and parks, undeveloped parcels
with urban zoning)
 Parking types and location (parallel, diagonal, lots)
 Natural features (creeks, significant trees, views, hills, etc.)
b. Public visioning and charrette:
The charrette is a collaborative planning process that brings together residents and
design professionals in an intensive multiday process.
c. Determine appropriate spatial basis for regulation (districts, transect, streets or special
zones).
There are four basic alternatives that are typically used by different practitioners:
Neighborhoods, districts, corridors
Transect
Street-based regulating plan
Special purpose zones
This process entails identifying which parts of the community are appropriate for different types
of development.
d. Develop urban standards (streets, blocks, building placement, height, land uses, etc.)
A set of diagrams for each zone that clearly establish standards for some of the
following key ingredients of an urban place: street and sidewalk widths, building
placement, building height and profile.
e. Develop architectural standards (building or frontage typologies, etc.)
f. Allocate and illustrate standards:
The final step in the process is to prepare the standards in a format that is graphic, well-
illustrated, jargon-free, and easy to understand.
8
French Broad Land Owners: http://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2015/10/28/asheville-french-broad-
river-land-owners-fear-zoning-will-force-them-out/74709680/
9
Form-based Code RAD: http://www.ashevillerivergate.com/2015/03/form-based-code-coming-to-river-arts.html
10
Next Steps: Community Design
http://lgc.org/wordpress/docs/freepub/community_design/fact_sheets/form_based_codes.pdf

6. 2. Action Plan
 Drafting
 Public Input
 Review
 More Public Input
 Adoption
3. Alternatives and other Opportunities
If jumping directly into transforming downtown Asheville as a whole with Form-based code
seems like a big leap for some an alternative to this broad stroke proposal would be to condense
the project to the South Slope and Lexington Ave corridors. Preferably concurrently, though
consecutively would be reasonable enough. This offering of alternatives is to empower the
Asheville community to make the right decision, even if it is one bite at a time. Form-based code
applies smart growth principles, which focus on a greater mix of housing, commercial and retail
uses, transit and pedestrian oriented communities, and preserves open space. A city is a living,
evolving organism in which new layers are continuously being woven into the urban fabric. The
environment we build for ourselves shapes our experience, our community and our identity.

7. SOURCES
Asheville Citizens Times: Biltmore Park: http://www.citizen-
times.com/story/news/local/2016/03/01/biltmore-park-near-full-occupancy-more-
building-come/80865298/
Asheville Citizens Times: RAD: http://www.citizen-
times.com/story/news/local/2015/10/28/asheville-french-broad-river-land-owners-
fear-zoning-will-force-them-out/74709680/
Asheville River Gate: http://www.ashevillerivergate.com/2015/03/form-based-code-
coming-to-river-arts.html
Code Studio Projects: Haywood Rd: http://code-studio.com/projects/haywood-road-
from-based-code/
Code Studio Projects: RAD: https://www.dropbox.com/s/gmoi0gbjpcb4u07/RAD-FBC-
DRAFT-March7.pdf?dl=0
Elliot, D. Lorn, J. Russel, J. Esq. Voss, C. AICP.
http://law.pace.edu/sites/default/files/LULC/Conference_2013/Applying%20Form%20B
ased%20Codes%20in%20the%20Real%20World%20-%20Full.pdf
Form-based Codes: http://formbasedcodes.org/resources/
Mountain Xpress. Letter Writer: http://mountainx.com/opinion/letter-writer-new-
downtown-design-guidelines-worth-considering/
Mountain Xpress Letter Writer: http://mountainx.com/opinion/letter-writer-make-
downtown-design-guidelines-mandatory/
Mountain Xpress Letter Writer: http://mountainx.com/opinion/letter-writer-city-
should-demand-architectural-quality-in-important-projects/
Planners Web: http://plannersweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/The-Secrets-of-
Successful-Communities-_-PlannersWeb.pdf