Neighborhood Design Center, Inc.

The Natural Step system conditions have (at least) the following implications for zoning, based on the four system conditions:

System Condition 1: Sustainable society will not extract resources from the earth’s crust, and systematically concentrate them in the environment.

Condition 1 - Built form implications:
- design cities and regions to reduce motor vehicle trips and vehicle miles traveled:
- compact, walkable, mixed communities to replace auto trips with walking and biking
- densities to support transit
- viable transit services

- Building and site capacity for alternative energy production (solar, wind, geothermal) - promote wind power generation availability on local sites

-  Green buildings that reduce energy consumption

Condition 2 - Zoning code implications:
- reduce parking requirements
- car trip reduction incentives
- transit-oriented zoning districts
- standards to promote transition away from auto-dependent areas
- bicycle standards
- public right of way standards (for pedestrian-, bicycle- and transit friendly streets)

- solar/wind/geothermal access rights as standards within zoning districts

- zoning for community gardens and urban agriculture
- green building zoning incentives

System Condition 3: Sustainable societies will not systematically degrade natural environments.

Condition 3 - Built form implications:
- urban environments currently systematically degrade natural hydrologic systems, diminishing aquatic environments and water quality. Sustainable built forms would preserve and restore hydrology to historic conditions:
- promote on-site infiltration, reduce run-off,

Condition 3 - Zoning code implications:
- standards/incentives for reductions in stormwater generation by site or project

System Condition 4: Sustainable societies will not systematically decrease humans capacities to meet their needs.

Condition 4 - Built form implications:
- ensure affordable housing options
- provide community gathering spaces
- ensure mix of housing opportunities

- accessible, affordable tranportation access to working, shopping, education, etc.,

Condition 4 - Zoning code implications:
- promote accessory dwelling units
- require minimum number of housing types, including multi-family and rental
- allow co-housing and coop housing by right
- allowance for Single Room Occupancy (SRO) housing, transitional housing
- require accessible and friendly public spaces with minimum distance of units
- ensure process for public to engage in re-zonings and Planned Unit Developments

- location and access to life needs by walking, biking and transit

- accessible, attractive public spaces within neighborhoods to promote community connections

The second TNS condition (not systematically increasing concentration of human made substances in environment) is less obvious, but could tie into green building and environmental standards in manufacturing zoning districts (although these are mostly regulated by building codes and DNR, respectively).

If you google “sustainable zoning” you can find a lot more resources.

The City of Madison is in the process of rewriting its zoning code. The new zoning code will set the rules and procedures for the uses (residential, commercial, etc.) and form (building height, placement on lot, densities, parking standards, etc.) of private property in the City. As such it has significant implications for sustainability.

The process started in January and goes through 2009. This year the focus is on the code language, next year the zoning map. A range of new districts have been proposed in an “Annotated Outline” document. The Outline also includes a section on “Principles of Sustainability.” Download these pages here. The treatment of sustainability is pretty general at this point.

The consultants hired by the City to prepare the new code have heard from some City staff and officials that the code should reflect the City’s adoption of The Natural Step framework; and some Advisory Committee members have raised the importance of sustainability. But the opportunity to make the code go farther in promoting sustainable urban environments are:

Submit comments on the City website. If you submit comments, they will be forwarded to members of the Zoning Code Rewrite Advisory Commitee (ZCRAC), and you will receive notices and updates about the process.

Attend ZCRAC meetings and give public comment. ZCRAC formed subgroups to address other issues as a result of consistent public input. Ongoing input about sustainability could lead to a sustainability subgroup. Such a subgroup could provide direct recommendations to the process.

Attend the Community Forums.