Neighborhood Design Center, Inc.
Zoning Code Sustainability Resources
This page is meant as a depository for resources available to those looking to make zoning and municipal codes more sustainable.
The City of Madison’s zoning code rewrite web pages have links to a number of resources, especially related to “form-based” codes.
The University of Denver, Sturm College of Law’s Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute produces a number of documents addressing sustainability and municipal codes. Search the Law College site for sustainable zoning to access powerpoints and reports. They produce a great document called “Sustainable Community Development Code: A Code for the 21st Century,” (2 MB).
Albuquerque, New Mexico is moving ahead with “form-based” zoning codes. As described in the New Mexico Independent article, “Green growth gambit,” the codes draw mixed response. Some see it as advancing the City’s plans for more compact, walkable development by setting clearer standards for mixed-use development and building forms that enhance public spaces. Others see the danger of an approval process with less neighborhood input (when proposals meet the new zoning requirements). Sound familiar?
Zoning Codes and Sustainability
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.