Smart Codes, Traditional Zoning & Building Regulations, or Design Review?

This text, and photos below from a document by Urban Advantage, one of the consultants for the Columbia Pike Smart Code project in Arlington Virginia.

Today's quote of the day comes from John Massengale, an architect and professor, and blogger (Veritas et Venustas), although this comes from an e-list posting:

"while you can attempt to code beauty, never underestimate the capacity of architects, engineers and developers to undermine that in 2006."

Smart codes, which don't include design review, are pushed by New Urbanists as a way to move back to urban pedestrian-focused design rather than car-based regulations (building setbacks that favor parking in front, low scale, etc.), because the new urbanists believe that by providing positive incentives, including accelerated approvals, enlightened developers will do, and build, the "right" (and beautiful) thing.

Too often, they don't.

And because the quality of the built environment is too important and impacts too many other people, for decades, it seems a bit much to leave all the decision-making power and authority solely to the discretion of the property owner.

In the DC region, the only example that comes to mind of an extant "Smart Code" is on Columbia Pike in Arlington County. From the website:

The Columbia Pike Form Based Code is made up of three parts. The parts deal with 1.) Property location; 2.) Building form and use; and 3.) Architecture (the dress code). For most properties the code amounts to seventeen pages of pictures, graphics and clear explanations of what can be done under the code.




Index Keywords: urban-design-placemaking