Pattern Zones and Pre-Reviewed Homes

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Communities around the country are facing a growing pressure to develop new housing options, both to grow inventories as well as to diversify the housing options available. Demographic trends, including declining family sizes and growing single senior populations, and economic mismatches of housing costs and household incomes demand new ideas for bringing housing to market. Historians and planners alike have noted that residential zoning practices have replaced redlining and residential steering to limit access to housing with standards that prevent construction of the amounts and types of housing that we need. Even in communities that recognize the need for new residential development, though, fears of rapid and radical change to the built landscape can block progress.

In several places, an emerging practice of local pattern-book-based development is sprouting, offering not only new housing options but a streamlined approval pathway for construction using the community's pre-reviewed plans. This practice poses a middle ground between strict preservation of existing neighborhood form and broad zoning changes, leveraging strong design to achieve local acceptance and clear and predictable approvals for builder buy-in. While still in its infancy, this practice includes nearly a dozen distinct programs nationally, offering an opportunity for learning and iteration on success.

This issue of Zoning Practice explores how a pattern approach to zoning may help communities expand housing choice and affordability. It begins with a brief examination of historical precedents before outlining the key components of a pattern zoning program and highlighting potentially complementary strategies.

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