“Zoning is merely a tool. It can be used constructively as a positive force for community good or it can be misused.” — Edward McMahon, from “What's So Bad About Zoning?”
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Follow on our companion BricklynVT.com web site the application of Dunk Them Donuts to build an 11 story mixed-use tower featuring a 5 story high revolving donut-shaped restaurant anchored to the building’s roof. Construction of the tower will also require … Continued
In this final part of their series, Mary Madden and Joel Russell discuss the vital relationship between the planning process and the development of a form-based code.
Our 4-part series on form-based codes continues with an overview of the typical elements of a FBC and how they enable it to shape public space and create walkable, pedestrian-friendly places.
The concepts of “urban form” and “the public realm,” central to form-based codes, are absent from the conventional zoning vocabulary. A look at key differences between FBCs and traditional zoning.
An introduction to the use of form-based codes — how they work and how they differ from conventional zoning. In Part 1: an overview of the origins of form-based zoning and its primary objectives.
Attorney Daniel Shapiro provides a brief overview of downzoning, examining some of the pluses and minuses, and noting some legal issues to keep an eye out for.
What happens when a developer files for a building permit or submits a subdivision application — and the local government then changes its ordinance in a way that would prohibit the project as proposed? A look at the complex issue of “vested rights.”
With the start of an economic recovery in much of the country, developers in many communities face the question of how to restart projects that have lied fallow or failed as a result of the great recession. A look at some of the legal issues involved.
Do you know it when you see it? A look at how to spot “spot zoning” situations, and consideration of the importance of the comprehensive plan in evaluating spot zoning.
If your community wants a more flexible approach to nonconformities, there are several ways to accommodate them, as Mark White discusses in the second part of his article.
Attorney and planner Mark White provides an overview of how communities can best deal with nonconforming uses, in the first of a two-part article.
Successful communities use education, incentives, partnerships, and voluntary initiatives not just regulation. While regulations are essential in setting minimum standards — and can prevent the worst in development — they rarely bring out the best.
The practice of bulldozing modest-size homes and replacing them with “McMansions” has alarmed many planners, neighborhood groups, and preservationists. How can communities respond?
