ABSTRACT
Regulations have an important role to play as they provide some degree of predictability and convey a community's expectations. But they must also allow prospective investors to quickly determine the potential of developing a particular site without first hiring architects or sifting through numerous city documents. New regulations and standards must be a part of an overall set of strategies that include capital improvements, tax incentives, and tools such as tax increment financing. Regulations in most communities often make development in peripheral areas far easier to accomplish than within already built-up areas. It has recently become popular for advocates of "form-based" codes to recommend eliminating the tool of Floor Area Ratio (FAR) in favor of bulk and dimensional standards. FAR offers a degree of predictability and certainty. Having a good set of design standards and guidelines is important to directing the character and quality of downtown development.
