A study indicates that prioritizing building form enhances urban walkability, livability, and sustainability. Conventional zoning exacerbates car dependency and sprawl. Researchers examined planning documents from over 2,000 communities to identify form-based code language, which emphasizes building design over use. This method encourages mixed-use, compact neighborhoods conducive to walking. Form-based codes advocate for community-defined architectural aesthetics, promoting efficient land use and supporting sustainable behaviors through features like smaller setbacks and denser development. This approach aligns with policies for constructing accessory dwelling units, catering to land-use efficiency.
Traditional zoning has made it hard to build mixed-use, compact, and connected neighborhoods - the kinds of places where walking becomes a feasible option, says Salazar-Miranda.
Form-based codes are changing urban form in measurable ways and supporting more sustainable behaviors by using limited urban land more efficiently.
The guiding principle of form-based codes maintains that the form of buildings is more important than the use in determining community character.
Popularized at the end of the 20th century, a form-based code is a planning standard that focuses on the physical form of buildings.
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