Codes That Support Smart Growth Development

Zoning and building codes provide the framework that regulates where and what type of development can occur. EPA compiled a non-exhaustive list of strong examples of adopted codes and guidelines from around the United States that support smart growth development. These examples can provide valuable frameworks  for communities seeking models for codes. Where available, links to amended codes from the original sources are also provided below. 
 
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Background

Good codes are the foundation upon which great communities are built. Codes guide everything from permissible land uses to building densities, locations, and setbacks to street widths and parking requirements.

When done well, codes make it easier for a community to implement its vision. However, when they are out of date or do not line up with the community's vision, codes can actually keep communities from getting the development they want.

For example, conventional zoning practice of the past several decades has separated residential, retail, and office uses. Today, however, this approach to zoning stands can hinder communities in their pursuit of vibrant, walkable neighborhoods that mix these uses and give residents the option to walk to the store, walk to work, or own a home business. Restrictive zoning codes can also stifle the development of housing, which, in part, has led to a shortage of housing options in rural, suburban and urban communities across the country. 

Many applicants to EPA's Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Program requested help with updating or revising their codes. In response to this demand, EPA compiled these examples of adopted codes and guidelines from around the United States that support smart growth development. This list is not exhaustive but is a sampling of good, smart growth-supportive codes that communities could use as models to make similar updates to their zoning.

The examples are grouped into seven categories:

  • Unified Development Code — A single document that includes all development-related regulations, including zoning and subdivision regulation.
  • Form-Based Code or SmartCode — A code that outlines a specific urban form rather than zoning by use. Categories are included for form-based codes for area plans and for citywide codes.
  • Transit-Oriented Development — Moderate- to high-density, mixed-use neighborhoods built around transit stops and designed to maximize access to and use of public transportation.
  • Design Guidelines — A set of standards that aims to maintain a certain level of quality and architectural or historic character, addressing features such as building façades, public spaces, or landscaping.
  • Street Design Standards — Guidelines and standards related to travel-lane width, bicycle lanes, on-street parking, medians, sidewalks, landscaping, lighting, crosswalks, pedestrian refuge islands, bulbouts, and accessibility ramps.
  • Zoning Overlay — A set of zoning ordinances, optional or required, specifying land use and/or design standards for a designated portion of the underlying zoning within a defined district; typically used to keep architectural character and urban form consistent, make adjacent uses compatible, or accelerate the conversion of non-conforming land uses.

Unified Development Code

Durham, North Carolina
Unified Development Ordinance — Adopted in 2006; amended in 2024

The Unified Development Ordinance lays out the rules for the physical development of property. It was crafted to result in a built environment that meets the goals of Durham's Comprehensive Plan. The 2006 version was organized into five "development tiers" that reflected the different characteristics and priorities found throughout the region: Rural, Suburban, Urban, Compact, and Downtown.

  • Standards for the Rural and Suburban tiers prioritized environmental protection and compatibility with the existing patterns of development in the unincorporated portions of the county.
  • Standards for the Urban, Compact, and Downtown tiers encouraged a more diverse pattern, including incentives for mixed-use, pedestrian-scaled development, while incorporating appropriate natural resource protection measures.

Much of the focus in these more urban tiers has been on stimulating and accommodating infill growth and development. This was accomplished through residential density bonuses, commercial and mixed-use height bonuses, reductions or exemptions from parking requirements, modifications to buffer and landscape requirements, and other incentive-based measures.

San Antonio, Texas
Unified Development Code— Adopted 2006; amended in 2023

The 2006 Unified Development Code included "use patterns" for various forms of smart growth development such as traditional neighborhood development, transit-oriented development, neighborhood centers and conservation subdivisions, new infill development zones, parking caps, and street design and infrastructure options.

The purpose of this code was to consolidate the regulations pertaining to patterns of development in San Antonio. These use patterns reflected either the majority of anticipated permitting activity or the patterns, such as traditional neighborhood development, that the city wanted to encourage.

Each section described the use pattern, the procedure for approval, and the standards relating to approval, with cross-references to other parts of this chapter where needed. The intent was to present a visual, user-friendly overview of the regulations that apply to those types of uses or development styles.

Form-Based Code or SmartCode — Area Plans

Arlington County, Virginia

The form-based code is an optional development approval process designed to help revitalize the Columbia Pike corridor of Arlington County. It uses simple and clear graphic prescriptions and parameters for height, siting, and building elements to address the basic necessities for forming good public space.

The code includes regulating plans, required building lines, parking setbacks, building envelope standards, architectural standards, and streetscape standards. Developers who use the form-based code process receive an expedited approval process and, if developing in a revitalization district, are eligible for county investment.

Knoxville, Tennessee
Form-Based Code Districts — Adopted in 2007; amended in 2015

With the help of many residents, property owners, neighborhood residents, and technical experts, the South Waterfront Vision Plan, Action Plan, Urban Renewal and Redevelopment Plan, and Form-Based Development Code were adopted by the city council in 2007 in a span of 10 months. The plan for the South Waterfront included a continuous Riverwalk along the shoreline; several parks and other "windows" to the water; public improvements for streets, sidewalks, bikeways, and parking; and private development to add new housing units, retail and office space, and entertainment opportunities.

The intent of these codes was to provide a blueprint for future development that allows greater certainty in determining the outcome for growth. The Knoxville South Waterfront Vision Plan represented a possible vision for future growth. These codes were written to tailor future development to achieve this vision.

Peoria, Illinois
Form-Based Code, Phase II of Heart of Peoria Plan  (see "Warehouse District") — Adopted in 2007

In 2002, the city produced the Heart of Peoria Plan, a vision for reinvigorating 8,000 acres in residential and business districts. A detailed form-based code was created for each of the four main business areas in Peoria, and a more generalized special overlay district was developed for the rest of the "Heart of Peoria," including illustrated, generic building form and architectural standards. The special overlay district was unique in that it represents a hybrid of traditional Euclidian and form-based zoning. The most significant community concerns addressed by the code were the creation of more walkable commercial areas and retrofitting existing corridors to complement the adjacent neighborhoods.

Form-Based Code or SmartCode — City Wide

Gulfport, Mississippi
SmartCode (32 pp, 7.1 MB, About PDF)— Adopted in 2007

As part of ongoing work to support the recovery of the Gulf Coast through the Mississippi Renewal Forum, the city of Gulfport worked with New Urbanist designers and planners to establish a new vision for growth and development. The SmartCode was the result of two charrettes.

  • The first was coordinated by the Mississippi Renewal Forum, October 2005, and focused on 11 communities along the gulf.
  • The mayor and city council asked HDR to conduct a second charrette, which was held in February 2006, to focus on writing the SmartCode.

One of the overall recommendations was to adopt the SmartCode as an overlay throughout the city of Gulfport, used in conjunction with existing codes. The team recommended that the SmartCode be mandatory in the downtown area south of the CSX tracks.

Leander, Texas 
SmartCode — Adopted in 2005; amended in 2014

City officials recognized the impact of growth pressures on its community and the opportunity to capitalize on proposed increased investment in transportation planning. To respond to the situation, Leander worked with consultants to establish clear directives for land use planning to help guide new development into existing and planning transit corridors.

This process involved investigating best practices of transit-oriented development (TOD) and code reform that result in compact, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods. Officials determined that the most effective strategy would be to update the city's zoning code as a SmartCode.

This SmartCode, which served as a Unified Development Ordinance, applied only within the boundaries of the Transit-Oriented Development Sector. The Community Plan created under this code defined the TOD Sector as represented in the TOD Transect Map, as amended. The code and the transect map were in accordance with the city's comprehensive plan and ordinances.

Montgomery, Alabama
Traditional Neighborhood Development Overlay SmartCode  — Adopted in 2006; amended in 2007 and 2019

The purpose of this SmartCode was to create a community and region that adheres to the general principles of the transect.

  • The region should maintain its natural infrastructure by respecting watersheds, woodlands, and other natural features.
  • Growth strategies should encourage infill and redevelopment. This development should be contiguous with existing urban areas and follow a pattern of traditional villages and towns that are highlighted by walkable blocks, a range of housing opportunities, and transportation options.
  • Communities should be compact, with an emphasis on accommodating everyday activities a short walk from residences.
  • Land uses should be organized to support transit, civic uses including public open spaces should be embedded in neighborhoods, and schools should be neighborhood-oriented.
  • The blocks and buildings should accommodate automobiles while also serving pedestrians.
  • A sense of local place should be established through materials, architecture, and layout of uses.

The SmartCode was calibrated to fit the local context of Montgomery and its social, political, and built environment.

St. Lucie County, Florida
Form-Based Code  — Adopted in 2006

This form-based code was adopted for a 28-square-mile area just beyond the urban fringe of the city of Fort Pierce in northern St. Lucie County, Florida. It was created to implement the "Towns, Villages, and Countryside" (TVC) master plan prepared for St. Lucie County by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council in 2004. The TVC plan combines agricultural preservation and limited development. Existing development rights could be exercised only by concentrating them in new town or villages, each to be surrounded by continued agricultural activity.

Unlike most form-based codes, it was adopted before the physical design of individual villages. The code provided explicit standards for each village, including minimum percentages of the land that will remain as "countryside" and assignment of the developable portion of each village into zones based on an urban-to-rural transect. A regulating plan for each village was meant to identify specific transect zones and assign allowable street types and lot types in accordance with standards in the code. Each regulating plan was subject to approval by the Board of County Commissioners through a planned unit development-like rezoning process.

Transit-Oriented Development

Palo Alto, California
Pedestrian & TOD Mixed Use Context-Based Design Guidelines; Zoning Ordinance Update — Adopted in sections beginning in 2005

The city of Palo Alto updated its zoning ordinance to reflect its updated comprehensive plan. The first phase analyzed existing standards through the development of prototypical designs for a variety of site and development contexts. Context-based design guidelines incorporate innovative zoning techniques and a form-based, design-oriented approach through the development of building and site planning design prototypes. The context-based design guidelines for the pedestrian- and transit-oriented overlay district for California Avenue and the mixed-use zoning regulations provided developers and the city with key guidelines to ensure development meets the city's needs.

Design Guidelines

Mountain View, California
Residential Guidelines  (see Rowhouse Design Guidelines and R4 Multifamily Standards) — Adopted in 2005; amended in 2019

The regulations and guidelines established how streets, pathways, and open spaces work together to organize development and provide guidance for character-defining architectural and site planning elements. The rowhouse design guidelines described how new rowhouse development should be designed to create desirable residential developments and ensure a seamless integration with existing neighborhoods. The R4 zone was intended to encourage high-density residential development in standard residential zones, where previously such development was allowed only in certain Precise Plan areas.

Street Design Standards

Aurora, Colorado
Urban Street Standards in Transit Oriented Developments and Urban Centers (26 pp, 583 K, About PDF) — Adopted in 2007

These standards were applied to create a safe, comfortable, pleasant, and pedestrian-friendly multi-modal travel environment that helps the creation of vibrant civic places and economic vitality in transit-oriented developments and urban centers. The Aurora Comprehensive Plan identified various TOD sites and urban centers throughout the city. The comprehensive plan included a recommendation to "develop urban street standards for use in emerging areas of the city such as urban centers and transit-oriented development sites."

San Diego, California
Transit Area Overlay (PDF) and Urban Village Overlay (PDF)  — Adopted in 2000

These sections of the city of San Diego's Municipal Code outlined parking standards in areas of the city where transit is encouraged.

  • The intent of the transit overlay zone was to identify areas with reduced parking demand and to lower off-street parking requirements accordingly.
  • The intent of the urban village overlay was to create a mix of land uses in a compact pattern that will reduce dependency on the automobile, improve air quality, and promote attractive, vibrant neighborhoods.

Urban villages were characterized by interconnected streets, building entries along the street, and architectural features and outdoor activities that encourage pedestrian activity and transit accessibility. These regulations were intended to be used in conjunction with the Transit-Oriented Development Design Guidelines of the Land Development Manual and the applicable land use plan.

Zoning Overlay

Nashville, Tennessee
Urban Zoning Overlay — Adopted in 2006

The Urban Zoning Overlay (UZO) district is a special type of zoning district. Overlay zoning districts like the UZO are tools for dealing with special situations or accomplishing special goals. They can be placed "over" the base zoning for an area to alter some of the regulations. The UZO district was created to better regulate development in the older urban areas of Nashville. 

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Last updated on June 3, 2024