by Lytrce Slade
Zoning planning tools can create vibrant destination places in cities. Planning is not accidental; it is intentional by using planning techniques. Slade has a background in urban planning. In the past, Slade assessed which flexible zoning options were the best, such as Conditional-Use or Special-Use Permits, Overlay Zoning Districts, Floating Zones, Planned Unit Development (PUD), Cluster Development or Conservation Design, Performance Standards, and Incentive Zoning to create revitalization within cities.
Let’s discuss PUD and TOD further. The easiest way to create a PUD is to look at areas that are gathering places in a municipality that has components of a PUD. Once the area is identified they should be developed into a completed PUD. Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is key to mobility for transit users. People want to live in urban cities that are walkable and have easy access to transportation. A city must have the density and amenities to create a TOD. Often- times, a place is called a TOD, but it is not.
Slade enjoys uses planning tools to increase economic development through Unified Development Codes and Inclusionary Zoning; Traditional Neighborhood Development and New Urbanism-Supportive Regulations; Form Based Zoning; and Transect-Based Code. These tools can transform a city. The key is to assess which tools is the best fit for each municipality. These tools are seen as “Innovations”. The Innovations in local development are reflective of new and increasingly accepted concepts about how neighborhoods and communities should be shaped and function.
Let’s make sure we leave our cities better than the way we found them in order to achieve true sustainability through planning techniques.
L’Tryce Slade, MRP, JD
Managing Director
www.sladellc.com
