It's a fact. The zoning problem you're struggling with today has probably already been solved by somebody else. But how can you find out what's working without spending a lot of your valuable time?

Zoning Practice isn't just an interesting read. It's a toolbox chock full of information geared to inform and inspire, and to implement by planners for the purpose of smarter land-use practice.

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Current Issues

May 2013

Avoiding Common Form-Based Code Mistakes, Part 1

One of the biggest zoning-related stories over the past 10 years has been the rise of form-based zoning. While proponents of form-based codes have been effective at explaining the benefits of shifting the zoning paradigm away from use, relatively few communities have completely weaned themselves from conventional Euclidean zoning standards. This issue tackles some common misconceptions about form-based coding and highlights some common mistakes communities have made when trying to harmonize form-based coding concepts with existing regulations.

Author Daniel Parolek is co-author of the first comprehensive book on FBCs, Form-Based Codes: A Guide for Planners, Urban Designers, Municipalities, and Developers. He is a founding board member of the Form-Based Codes Institute, and founding principal of Opticos Design, Inc., a California Benefit Corporation.

April 2013

Urban Micro-Livestock Ordinances: Regulating Backyard Animal Husbandry

While small farm animals never completely disappeared from most cities, a growing number of communities are revisiting their animal control and zoning regulations in response to a renewed interest in chickens, bees, and goats among urban agriculture practitioners and backyard hobbyists. While livestock in the city was once associated with the recently rural, urban poor, it is now an activity enjoyed by many young, educated, middle-class urban dwellers. This issue provides some insight into community-driven initiatives to sanction farm animals in urban areas and summarizes some common regulatory approaches aimed at ensuring these animals make good neighbors.

Author Jaime Bouvier is a Senior Instructor in Law and Co-Director of the Writing and Academic Support Program at Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio. She has also represented state and local governments as well as landowners in zoning and land-use litigation.

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