Form-based Codes Research Articles

Form-Based Code Revisited: Leveraging Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Spatial Optimization to Chart Commuting Efficiency Landscapes under Alternative City Planning Frameworks

Form-Based Code Revisited: Leveraging Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Spatial Optimization to Chart Commuting Efficiency Landscapes under Alternative City Planning Frameworks

Can Form-Based Codes be the Opportunity to Achieve a Quality Built Environment in Aotearoa New Zealand?

This article suggests that our current land-use planning is routinely failing to make good places where people want to live. The inability of land-use zoning to generate mixed-use neighbourhoods is one reason. Instead of land-use and density calculations, the use of form-based codes might be an opportunity to take a holistic approach to streets, buildings and open spaces when thinking about our future neighbourhoods.

Design for Storm Surge Flooding Adaptation: Facilitating Emergency Evacuation with Adaptive Landscape Form-Based Codes

Lack of consensus and funding led to a focus on building retrofits after storm surge flooding and collective inaction for undertaking cross-jurisdictional adaptation pathways planning. Using Seabrook, TX, United States, as a test case, this paper demonstrates the feasibility of using design games (participatory community visioning and design processes) to develop consensus-based, performance-driven, form-based codes from an adaptive landscape framework to facilitate emergency evacuation during storm surge flooding. The framework provides bottom-up mechanisms to enhance the sizes, coverages, quantities, and connectivity of multi-scalar engineered structural and nature-based solutions as a complex adaptive system to increase evacuation time and decrease flood-prone population.

Coding for predictive built environments: building and street typology choices in form-based codes

ABSTRACT Form-based codes (FBCs) pursue alternative built environments that integrate design-focused approaches for the purpose of fostering predictable development outcomes. The emphasis of FBCs on legitimate building types and physical parameters may provide local authorities with new opportunities to incent a variety of sustainable design features. Despite the code’s recent popularity in urban infill and suburban retrofit projects, little research exists to explain the expected benefits of form-based approaches. This study evaluates the evolution of FBCs across diverse cities by relating a range of geographical scales to differing contextual conditions. Focusing on five FBCs adopted in the United States between 2010 and 2015, building and street design elements are analyzed to investigate the linkages between development context and built outcomes. This study supplements prior research on design coding by demonstrating that the local and metropolitan contexts of FBCs can help explain how placemaking goals may be achieved. The typology framework presented in this paper also serves as a minimum set of standards for reconciling the public’s expectation for amenities with the private sector’s willingness to contribute their resources to the local built environment.

The imperatives of TOD regulations: facilitating sustainability and predictability of built-form

ABSTRACT Many U.S. cities are adopting form-based codes (FBCs) instead of conventional zoning codes (CZCs) to encourage sustainability and predictability of built-form outcomes in transit-oriented developments (TODs). This research used a multiple-case study method to examine the extent to which FBCs adopted for TODs differ from CZCs in facilitating sustainable design and in delineating the envisioned built-form. The results reveal that, although there is variation, FBCs adopted for TODs facilitate sustainable design to a greater extent and more effectively delineate the envisioned built-form than do CZCs. The study concludes with recommendations for emphasizing sustainability and predictability of built-form in TOD regulations.

Regulating Façade Length for Streetscapes of Human Scale

This paper starts from the hypothesis that streetscapes with shorter façade lengths are more pleasant for pedestrians than long and monotonous façades. It analyses four case studies where short façade lengths were implemented by applying different means of regulation and gives insight into an experimental planning example from Schlieren, Switzerland. Through the investigation of these cases, different possibilities to regulate façade length were revealed and categorised. The applied comparative case study analysis and comparative approach showed that most case studies are project-based solutions, either by applying text-based regulations or by reducing parcel size. The experiment in Schlieren offered a possibility to reduce façade length to a maximum value within the standard building regulations (Rahmennutzungsplanung) and therefore make it applicable to more than just singular projects. This approach failed, since it falls into the category of form-based codes, which in the canton of Zurich are by law not allowed in all zones. The experiment showed, however, that form-based codes can act as a powerful alternative to reduce façade length if parcel size cannot be influenced and more than just one single project perimeter is to be regulated.

A framework for considering the use of computational design technologies in the built environment design process

This research proposes a Computation in Design (C-in-D) framework for design practices to consider the adoption of computational technologies in their design process. Examples of computational design technologies include but are not limited to computational algorithms, the Internet of Things (IoT), reality capture and digital fabrications. We develop the framework by categorizing design projects based on their physical scales, defining the work stages in a design project, and decomposing the design process into tasks and data flows. The computational design technologies can then be assessed by mapping its usage onto these data flows. The framework provides a basic structure for practices to customize and systematically assess the impacts of using computational design technologies in their design process. We demonstrate the C-in-D framework in three case studies, a sculpture design, an interior retrofit, and a form-based code development. The demonstration shows that web-based interactive parametric modeling and reality capture technologies can improve collaboration between the artist and modeler in the sculpture design project. IoT and optimization algorithms can improve the daylighting performance of the interior retrofit, and the use of Geographic Information System and reality capture technology can improve site analysis and visioning of the form-based code development process. The framework is a valuable tool for facilitating the adoption of new design technologies in practice.

Evaluating Parametric Form-Based Code for Sustainable Development of Urban Communities and Neighborhoods.

Parametric techniques have been implemented for planning projects in urban communities and neighborhoods. Form-Based Code, a representative planning approach, uses parametric techniques towards an efficient planning process with three-dimensional visualized schemes. However, the extent to which the parametric Form-Based Code integrates the sustainable development criteria is still unclear. This paper targets to evaluate parametric Form-Based Code towards sustainable development of urban communities. Methods of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) are hired. Criteria that related to health environment and sustainable development in LEED-ND, including smart location & linkage, neighborhood pattern & design, and green infrastructure & buildings work to test parametric Form-Based Code. Results indicate that parametric Form-Based Code are concordant with a small number of the criteria of smart location & linkage and green infrastructure & buildings. Criteria of neighborhood pattern & design are more moderately or strongly reflected in parametric Form-Based Code. Conclusions include criticism and valuable insights for the enhancement of parametric Form-Based Code towards healthy socio-environment and sustainable development of urban communities and neighborhoods.

Form-based code as a tool for organising the 6th of October City\u2019s townscape

This research uses a form-based code (FBC) to affect the townscape through its procedures and components. Impacts of the FBC’s features on the townscape are classified into three categories the effect on urban spaces, buildings, and landscape architecture. This research explores the components of the categories and makes reference to those components within the 6th of October City, Egypt, from 2020 to 2021. Urban spaces are included, regulating plan, and public realm standards were investigated in the central axis and the inner streets. Buildings were also explored; block and lot and building type standards have been inspected at Al-Hossary Square and the 7th District, while survey field observations investigated the frontage type and architectural standards. In addition, landscape architecture components of the FBC were explored through fieldwork observed throughout the city. This research employs an inductive approach of the literature base, a comparative analytical approach to compare the unified building law (UBL) with the FBC components, and a documentary survey method for fieldwork. The results extracted a proposed townscape code and some modifications of the building law (modifying some existing articles and adding new ones) to make FBC applicable in the surveyed city.

Form-based codes versus urban revitalization of historical city centers. Opportunities and dangers

Form-based codes versus urban revitalization of historical city centers. Opportunities and dangers

Genealogical method of urban typo-morphology with the aim of deriving pattern for providing form-based codes

Genealogical method of urban typo-morphology with the aim of deriving pattern for providing form-based codes

Code as urban vision: a critique of the Buffalo Green Code

ABSTRACT Adopted in 2017, the Buffalo Green Code was lauded as a comprehensive urban vision for Buffalo, New York. This form-based code would simplify Buffalo’s land use regulations by prescribing what could be built and where, and provide a unified framework for its future. Yet, despite the claims of comprehensiveness, the code left two pressing challenges of the city unaddressed: urban integration of vacant lots and lack of affordable housing. The paper argues that, given these omissions, the code fails to provide a grounded vision, while universalizing reductive fabric-making notions unsuitable for much of the city.

"CITY CONSTRUCTOR" (FORM-BASED CODES) AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT OF KHARKIV

The article discusses an approach to the development of the city, which is based on the so-called "city constructors" or "form-based codes". It represents the normatively fixed rules for shaping, architectural design, object filling of individual zones in the form of ready-made, pre-developed fragments of the urban environment. The evolution of the development of this approach from ancient cities to the 1960s-1980s is considered. It was revealed that the city designer helps to follow a clear urban development strategy, contributes to the creation of a high-quality urban environment with minimal means, and leads to a guaranteed practical result and capitalization of territories. Methods of introducing such an approach to the urban environment of Kharkiv in the framework of the implementation of an integrated urban strategy are proposed: “designer of urban spaces”, “designer of streets” and “designer of courtyards”. Two directions are proposed for the formation of a "designer of urban spaces". The first one: it is necessary to conduct a series of design seminars and workshops to determine the format of an urban designer, a list of code documents required for the development of subsections and formation of the composition of the working group, which will continue to develop the "city constructor". The second direction of work on the “constructor” should be a series of design seminars,competitions, with the obligatory active involvement of local residents in the process. These project seminars should be aimed at revitalizing individual courtyard areas of the city. For the fruitful implementation of such participatory projects, it is necessary to develop online applications that will facilitate the involvement of representatives of different social groups in the creative process. The article also suggests ways of introducing such an approach for the strategic development of the urban environment of Kharkov and reveals two main advantages of the “city constructor”. The first one: in the case of developing the city as a constructor, we get a step-by-step and strategic search for effective solutions to form a table of city elements (types of streets, squares, buildings and structures). The second advantage is that by developing a set of elements, rules and recommendations, we have an effective system that allows you to improve the city quickly, without the constant involvement of professionals. Even if such a system is used by an ordinary person, then a result of sufficient quality is always guaranteed.

The socio-economic context of form-based codes

• I provide a quantitative assessment of form-based codes (FBCs) in the U.S. • ANOVA regression assesses the equity, density and diversity of FBC tracts. • Median rent tends to be lower for FBC tracts. • Percent rental and percent high density housing are higher in FBC tracts. • Equity, density and diversity associations are strongest in suburban FBC tracts.

Following the process: unfolding how form-based code—as a travelling concept—has been adapted within the social, cultural, and architectural context of Riyadh

Following the process: unfolding how form-based code—as a travelling concept—has been adapted within the social, cultural, and architectural context of Riyadh

The concept of creating a form-based code of Zelenodolsk

The purpose of the study is to identify and compare territorial zones, volumetric-spatial characteristics of buildings and the peculiarities of the formation of open public spaces in Zelenodolsk. The main results of the study are that a comprehensive urban planning analysis was carried out, on the basis of which the features of the formation of territorial zones in the city were revealed, the boundaries of spatial-environmental morphotypes, their environmental features were identified, and the specificity of the formation of a design code for different areas of the city was determined. The significance of the results obtained for architecture and urban planning lies in the fact that the concept of the form-based code developed in the study for Zelenodolsk can become the basis for updating (or updating) urban planning documents (Local standards for urban planning, General plan, urban planning regulations, City beautification rules). The method of identifying and forming spatial-environmental morphotypes in the city is also of great importance, as the basis for creating a form-based code for Russian small and medium-sized industrial cities.

Ocean Tower en Alys Beach, Florida

La comunidad de Alys Beach, planificada conforme a los modelos del Nuevo Urbanismo, fue diseñada como un centro urbano denso a lo largo de una amplia playa de arena blanca. El emplazamiento de la parcela de este proyecto no sólo ofrecía una ubicación arquitectónicamente destacada en el espacio urbano denominado Gulf Green, sino que también era fundamental para el plan urbanístico de la ciudad.

From Form-Based to Performance-Based Codes

The performance of the built environment is an important concern affecting the quality of life and plays a critical role in every urban milieu. However, it generally disappears in the drawing plans. Current planning regulations do not always include performance requirements as part of the planning demands. Additionally, decision-makers lack the methodology and tools to demonstrate the expected performance of the built environment. Therefore, an examination of the performance of the designed area is sometimes neglected in the planning process. Current urban plans focus mainly on technical issues, counting the number of residential units, density measures, etc. The trend of progressive planning regulations, such as Form-Based Code (FBC), aims to coordinate these separated quantitative parameters into one comprehensive 3D plan where the urban form plays as a main integrator. However, these plans still lack the demand for understanding the quality and performance of the built environment through the visualization. This article addresses this gap, the lack of understanding of the performance of the built environment in urban plans and proposes the concept of Performance-Based Codes (PBC). The transition from form-based code to performance-based-design will be demonstrated through the presentation of two performance-based models, the Solar Envelope and Security Rating Index, and the possibility of integrating them into the planning process.

Incorporating Form-Based Codes into the Design-Based Approach to Historic Building Conservation in Phuket, Thailand

In Thailand, the concept and measurement of urban planning rely on conventional zoning, which includes land use, building usage, and open space ratio. Conventional zoning focuses on both the growth of buildings in terms of physical dimensions and their usability in lowland areas. The guidelines and measures used in urban planning do not reflect the spatial relationship of the community, as they have a less detailed design and place no emphasis on the identity of the district. Urban planning might not protect the sense of any given place, as it often uses a one-size-fits-all plan that is then applied to whole communities. Form-Based Codes (FBCs) are urban planning tools that are used to maximize land use, benefit the public, focus on creating a specific physical form, and design the development and public spaces in a way that matches the community’s vision. FBCs are the result of the cooperation between stakeholders, architects, urban planners, government agencies, and members of the local community who are willing to create a plan for their public space and to preserve the physical characteristics of the city. In this paper, we aimed to understand the relationship between various historical contexts and the FBCs using the case study of Phuket’s old town, which has a fusion of Sino–Portuguese architecture. Building form standards suitable for Phuket’s old town were created by comparing them to a baseline case that uses existing codes and regulations and using the FBCs’ components. FBCs have the potential to enhance the character and vibrancy of the historic area by improving façade design and preserving the sense of place and community pride. The results support the hypothesis that FBCs are able to supplement conventional zoning in historic districts. Recommendations for a local historic preservation commission and communities that are considering the adoption of FBCs for historic resources and districts are provided.

Reconciling New Urbanist plans: plan quality evaluation for cities in Florida, U.S.

ABSTRACT As the popularity of New Urbanism has grown, local governments have attempted to translate New Urbanist planning components into planning policy forms. Through observation of comprehensive plans in 40 cities in Florida, this paper explores the extent to which New Urbanism principles are embedded in terms of factual basis, goals, tools, intergovernmental coordination, and implementation. The outcomes of this study indicate that (1) the total quality of the plans varies by city; (2) local governments are well aware of the importance of New Urbanism; (3) there are weak links between the evaluation categories of factual basis and goals; (4) goals and objectives are addressed most effectively; (5) diversity and equity are relatively less addressed; and (6) proactive tools (e.g. form-based codes, transect zoning, or urban growth boundaries) are limited. The outcomes of this study are expected to benefit cities and improve their future plans by allowing the effective integration of New Urbanism depending on their own priorities. Highlights The mean plan quality score regarding New Urbanism for the 40 local comprehensive plans was 66.6 out of 100, while a large variation existed between local plan scores. Local governments are aware of the importance of New Urbanism principles, but not all the principles are reflected in local comprehensive plans. Inconsistencies existed between the factual bases and goals/objectives indicate that it is unclear how municipalities set their goals without documenting existing conditions. Relatively proactive tools like form-based codes, bans on suburban-style design, and transect zoning did not appear often. Diversity and equity are relatively less addressed in the factual bases, goals, and tools.