ABSTRACT
Form-based codes (FBC) are being adopted in progressive settings throughout the US. They are a regulatory system for land development that is usually substituted for the existing zoning code. While zoning is focused on regulating and separating land uses and density, form-based codes are focused on creating a particular physical result, typically a more ordered and somewhat higher density place with a more urban or village-like character. Form-based codes have more flexibility for land uses and density than zoning, but are much more restrictive concerning the design of buildings, sites, and public spaces. According to the Form-based Code Institute (FBCI), which is an interest group promoting such codes:Form-based codes foster predictable built results and a high-quality public realm by using physical form as the organizing principle for the code. There is a direct relationship between the kind of knowledge that critics can bring, and the broader knowledge of architecture and place in the community.
