Planning background
Form-Based Code history and description
Form-Based Code is an alternative zoning technique that uses local regulations and as a method of regulating development to achieve a specific urban form. It has replaced Euclidean Zoning in many new developed communities. The "SmartCode" model is a version ofKey elements
Regulating Plan, A regulating plan or map of the designated planning area that shows the locations where different building form standards apply, based on clear community intentions regarding the physical character of the area being coded. Building Form Standards, Building Form Standards control the configuration, features and functions (such as height, massing, setback, parking and use) of buildings that define and shape the public realm. Public Space Standards, These standards set specifications for the elements within the public realm such as sidewalks, travel lanes, street trees, street furniture, bike lanes and utilities. Streetscape Standards, The primary purpose of streetscape standards are to enhance the public realm through physical improvements and provide clear standards for urban infill development via the Form-based code. Architectural Design Standards, These regulations control external architectural materials and quality. Importantly, they do not usually dictate architectural style, but rather address design on a number of broader levels to establish a matrix of standards and guidelines that will allow projects to develop over time in a consistent scale and character. Sign Standards, As with all well-crafted Form-based codes, the purpose of sign standards is not uniformity, but elimination of those elements that result in a cluttered and unattractive physical environment.Benefits
The use of form-based codes, like many other smart growth tools, saves money for both developers and municipalities by streamlining the permitting process. It also protects neighborhood property values and offers a unique opportunity for municipalities to obtain the significant financial benefits of high-quality, higher-density developments. Studies have demonstrated that well-designed developments create superior property values than conventional developments with the same type of housing. This increase in value is the direct result of enhanced site amenities including uniform and consistent design standards, site layout, views, and preservation of existing cultural and historic resources.Disadvantages
Some disadvantages include the lack of standardization, relative newness of the tool, the perceived support of an urban agenda, and possible gentrification. Until form-based codes become a more common practice across Massachusetts, inexperienced planners and urban designers must investigate form-based codes through a process of trial and error. Further, because of the relative newness and unconventionality associated with form-based codes, developers, local government leaders, lending institutions and homeowners could prove resistant to such a dramatic change.Form-Based Code Regulating Plan
Village Center District: This district is located centrally within the Base and is characterized by New England traditional neighborhood design. This district is intended for mixed-use, containing the highest density of housing allowed in the bylaw, as well as office, commercial, and retail spaces such as convenience stores, restaurants and shops. Main Street Overlay District: The purpose of this district is to ensure that first floor active uses (such as retail and restaurant uses) are located along the two (2) main streets of the Village Center District. Mixed-Use Village District: The primary purpose of this district is to provide a mix of residential housing types with some neighborhood commercial uses, including retail and restaurants. The density of residential uses in the district is less than the Village Center District, with fewer commercial uses. Residential District: This district serves to accommodate a lower density of housing types. Shea Village Commercial District: This district is the commercial center of the Base. Shea Village Transition Overlay District: The purpose of this district is to create an appropriate transition in the scale of buildings within ¼ mile of where this district meets the Village Center District. Golf Course/Open Space District: The purpose of this district is to facilitate operation of a public golf course and associated uses, including a club house and golf-related retail operation, and other recreational uses. If, for any reason, the golf course is not built, the only other permitted uses for the district are open space and recreational uses. Recreation District: This district is established to foster passive and active indoor and outdoor recreational uses on the Base and will house some institutional uses already existing and required within the Base. Open Space-Corporation District: The primary purpose of this district is to encourage the preservation of large contiguous wetland areas and open space for park land, active and passive recreation, reservations, community gardens, rivers and streams, and similar uses. Coast Guard District: This district is the area currently used by the United States Coast Guard for housing.References
{{reflist Weymouth, Massachusetts Planned communities in the United States