This document discusses smart growth and form-based code approaches to community planning. Smart growth encourages compact, walkable development with a mix of uses, housing types, and transportation options. Form-based code regulates physical form to achieve a specific urban context. It uses standards for streets, blocks, and building heights/types to create predictable, vibrant neighborhoods. Both approaches aim to integrate development, reduce sprawl, foster livability and sustainability for people of all ages.

1. Here for Life
Planning Communities for All Ages
MARYANN BUCCI-CARTER, PP, AICP

2. Smart Growth
An approach to development that encourages:
• Mix of building types
• Mix of uses
• Diverse housing
• Transportation options
• Development within existing neighborhoods
• Community engagement.

3. Principles
• Compact building design
• Walkable Neighborhoods
• Range of Housing
opportunities
• Foster Distinctive attractive
communities
• Strong sense of place
• Preserve open space,
natural beauty, farmland
and environmental areas
• Sustainability

4. Benefits • The opposite of urban
sprawl
• Focus on vibrant –
competitive and livable
cores
• Reducing per capita
consumption,
infrastructure and
transportation costs

5. Getting
Development
Right
• create jobs and better
livelihoods
• increase economic growth
• improve social inclusion
• protect local and regional
ecosystems
• reduce both urban and
rural poverty
• involves residents in
development decisions

6. What are some of our favorite places?

8. Historic Districts

9. Walkable
Downtown
• Neighborhoods that have
homes near shops, offices,
schools, houses of worship,
parks, and other amenities,
• Give the option of walking,
bicycling, sitting, taking
public transportation or
driving.

10. Housing
Variety
• Provide for a range of
housing types
• Make it possible for
senior citizens to stay in
their neighborhoods as
they age
• Make it possible for
young people to afford
their first home
• Allow for families at all
stages in between to
find a safe, attractive
home they can afford

11. New Urbanism: Defined
Planning and development approach based on the
principles of how cities and towns had been built for
the last several centuries:
• Walkable blocks and streets,
• Housing and shopping in close proximity,
• Accessible public spaces.
• Focus on human-scaled planning and design
• Build places people love

12. New Urbanism – Form Based Code

13. Alternatives to Sprawl = Form Based
Applicable to:
• Rural main Streets
• Suburban areas
• Urban neighborhoods
• City centers
• Regions
• Failing Shopping Centers
• White Elephant Campuses
• Former Industrial Centers

14. Bois-Franc: Montreal, Canada
• Residential project has
become an urban design
example for sustainable
development
• Built on the site of a
former airport
• Creating the community
parks, ponds, fountains
and squares
• A vast network of
flourishing ecosystems

15. Liberty Harbor North

16. Form Based Code and Redevelopment Plan

17. KEY: Strong Grid

18. Intimate Neighborhood Street

19. Active ground floor and quality façade and street

20. Community Input

21. River Street

22. Regent Street

23. Liberty View Drive

29. Seamless Connection to the Existing City Fabric

30. Objective 1
Integrate With Existing Neighborhoods

32. Objective 2
Emphasis on Place Making and Walk ability
Perceived
Non-Residential
Conditions

33. Grand Street Stoops

34. Objective 3
Integrate with existing Neighborhoods
Inspiration

35. Objective 3
Enable Maximum Community Vitality
Keep uses general and inclusive
Residential Lodging Office Retail Civic
 Prohibit specific uses that are not wanted
Require restaurants and retail where wanted
Permit everything everywhere

36. Objective 4
Create a Strong Predictable Public Realm

37. Objective 5
Activated street and high quality
architecture
Objective 6 - Key
Make it look like it was not planned
Follow the rules of prior centuries…

38. Form Based Code = Map = Standards
1. Street Network Plan
and Thoroughfare
Standards
2. Use Standards
3. Regulating Plan
Frontage & Height
4. Community Facility
Plan
5. Building Type Cross
Sections
6. Park Designs

39. 1. Street Network
Plan
ST-60-30
ROW = 60 ft.
Pavement = 30 ft.
Cross-sections
Thoroughfare
Standards

41. 2. Residential Use: Defined
Premises available for long-term human
habitation by means of ownership and
rental, but excluding short-term letting of less
than a month's duration.
Examples: houses, row houses, apartments,
condominiums, Artisan Live/Work space,
assisted living facilities, adult communities, etc.

42. 3. Regulating
Plan
Heights and Build-to-Lines

43. First Floor Retail Frontages:
Required Locations

44. 4. Community Facilities Plan: Parks and Open Space

46. 225 Grand St

47. Gulls Cove

48. 18 Park

49. 333 Grand

50. High-rise Options at the Waterfront

52. 33 Park
33 Park

53. Street Scape

54. Form Based Code
Benefits
Maximizes
• Use mix
• Residential mix
• Market flexibility
• Creativity by design
professionals
• Allows for shared
infrastructure costs
Maintains
• Sense of place
• Vibrant livable
neighborhoods
• Neighborhood integration
• Walkable friendly streets
• Sociable by design
• Certainty of outcome

55. Smart Growth
Planning Communities For All
Ages
Use the tools
and
achieve the goals

56. Thank You