Two of the nation's experts in land-use law and planning provide a guide to drafting and updating land-use regulations. 21st Century Land Development Code is a complete planning and law model code integrating Euclidean zoning with green codes, new urbanism, and smart growth. It covers sustainability, neighborhood development, transit-oriented development, mixed use centers, subdivision regulations, official mapping, adequate public facilities, variances, conditional uses, religious uses, adult uses, telecommunications, and complete forms and procedures.

Foreword. Nature and scope. Overview of the planning process. Steps in land-use planning. Methods and sources.

A comprehensive, illustrative guide to Form-Based Codes "This volume describes in clear argument and significant detail the issues and techniques associated with the design and management of Form-Based Codes as an antidote to zoning and sprawl. Reading it and putting it to practice is an excellent point of departure for individuals and municipalities to safeguard and to grow their communities." - From the Foreword by noted architect and urbanist Stefanos Polyzoides Form-Based Codes are the latest evolutionary step in the practice of development and land-use regulation. A growing alternative to conventional zoning laws, Form-Based Codes go beyond land use to address not just the physical form of buildings but also surrounding streets, blocks, and public spaces in order to create, protect, and revitalize sustainable communities. Written by three recognized leaders in the field of New Urbanism, including an urban planner and an architect, this book is the first to address this subject comprehensively. After defining Form-Based Codes and explaining why they are a necessary alternative to conventional zoning regulations, the authors detail the various components of Form-Based Codes and then go step by step through the process of creating and implementing them. Finally, a series of case studies illustrates best practice applications of Form-Based Coding at various scales from county-wide to site specific, and various project types from city-wide development code replacement to the preservation or evolution of downtowns. This timely and accessible text features: * More than 200 clear illustrations of Form-Based Codes * Studies of real-world applications of Form-Based Coding by leading planners, urban designers, and architects Form-Based Codes is a must-read for today's urban designers, urban planners, architects, and anyone with a vested interest in utilizing the latest regulatory tool to help create compact, walkable, and sustainable communities.

The only consumer's guide to making sense of land-use laws and regulations Many property owners have no idea what their rights are when it comes to altering their properties, or protecting themselves from encroachment by developers and the misguided building and renovation plans of neighbors. Written by a leading national expert on land-use law, The Complete Guide to Zoning tells home owners, developers, and investors nationwide everything you need to know about getting approvals and protecting your property rights. In plain English, Dwight Merriam explains how to: Get fast approvals for building and renovation plans Obtain building permits and variances Fight development projects Use land-use laws to protect and increase property values Identify and work around laws that limit building and renovation plans Deal with environmental-protection laws

Why are American cities, suburbs, and towns so distinct? Compared to European cities, those in the United States are characterized by lower densities and greater distances; neat, geometric layouts; an abundance of green space; a greater level of social segregation reflected in space; and—perhaps most noticeably—a greater share of individual, single-family detached housing. In Zoned in the USA, Sonia A. Hirt argues that zoning laws are among the important but understudied reasons for the cross-continental differences.Hirt shows that rather than being imported from Europe, U.S. municipal zoning law was in fact an institution that quickly developed its own, distinctly American profile. A distinct spatial culture of individualism—founded on an ideal of separate, single-family residences apart from the dirt and turmoil of industrial and agricultural production—has driven much of municipal regulation, defined land-use, and, ultimately, shaped American life. Hirt explores municipal zoning from a comparative and international perspective, drawing on archival resources and contemporary land-use laws from England, Germany, France, Australia, Russia, Canada, and Japan to challenge assumptions about American cities and the laws that guide them.