Over the past two decades, Decatur, Georgia, has met many of their smart growth objectives — mixed-use buildings fronting walkable sidewalks, consistent streetscape standards, and the like — through a careful manipulation of their Euclidean zoning code. Largely successful, these efforts have fostered considerable downtown development in line with community goals. But that said, conversations held during the city’s 2010 Strategic Planning sessions revealed a collective desire for further fine-tuning in some key regulatory areas. Most notably: parking, downtown/residential transitions, accessory dwellings, and urban agriculture.
Stories from the Fields > Early County 2055 | Georgia
Early County 2055 | Georgia
Charles B. Rice grew up in Early County, Georgia, and moved away to make his fortune. Upon returning, he was struck by the downtrodden state of the county, and undertook a 50-year visioning effort to turn things around. Recognizing the expansive scope of his challenge, he engaged PlaceMakers to facilitate an economic development visioning process characterized by wide community engagement, master planning, a form-based SmartCode customization, and ongoing guidance in how to implement ambitious efforts in a climate of economic disinvestment.
Stories from the Fields > El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
In February 2008, with a constrained budget but strong political will, the City of El Paso approached PlaceMakers to lead a SmartCode effort. In less than six months from the date of contract, the code was adopted. Since that time, through public-private partnerships between the City and the development community, PlaceMakers has returned to design five master plans under the SmartCode.
Stories from the Fields > Fitchburg, Wisconsin
Fitchburg, Wisconsin
Fitchburg has the unique advantage of lying between the time-tested urbanity of Madison and the inspiring landscape of the agrarian countryside. Citizens have access to either in a matter of minutes. But what’s missing in its current array of suburban housing and commercial areas is the appeal and practical performance of more compact, walkable neighborhoods. The Fitchburg SmartCode District aims to empower a more complete community with the full range of living, working, and playing environments.
Stories from the Fields > Kona, Hawai'i | Honokohau Village
Kona, Hawai’i | Honokohau Village
Honokohau Village offers up a whole new way of planning for the County of Hawai’i Planning Department, the focus of which is an 80-acre TOD in Kona that includes the new West Hawai’i Civic Center. But the broader aim is educational.
Stories from the Fields > Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Unlike many — if not most — American cities, Lawrence, Kansas, has a vibrant, intact downtown. The fringes of the city, however, had been under increasing development pressure in recent years, leading local officials to undertake an intense planning and coding process to manage developing sprawl.
They turned to the SmartCode, and PlaceMakers, to create a parallel regulating ordinance where alternate outcomes were possible.
Stories from the Fields > Leander, Texas
Leander, Texas
When Leander, Texas, became the Austin region’s fastest growing municipality, they did what any city would do: They looked to similar and surrounding places for guidance. Unfortunately, what they found was disheartening. Sprawl, it seemed, was the adverse consequence of rapid growth. And they didn’t want it.
So they came to us. And, for the most part, didn’t even have to pay for it.
Stories from the Fields > Leytham | Omaha, Nebraska
Leytham | Omaha, Nebraska
Developer Herb Freeman’s home, a Georgian mansion that sits in the geographic center of his 160 acres, inspired the design for Leytham, a traditional neighborhood development just outside Omaha, Nebraska. Directing all facets, PlaceMakers delivered master planning, regulatory codes, charrette communications, implementation advisory and, after the charrette itself, brand marketing support.
Stories from the Fields > National City, California
National City, California
PlaceMaker Howard Blackson led a downtown Specific Plan, Urban Design standards and project Environmental Impact Report for National City’s Redevelopment authority. The plan and EIR was adopted by the City Council in February 2005 after a two-year process. The project’s baseline operating system utilized the Form-Based Code approach to place the correct building intensity to the correct street and open space typologies.
Stories from the Fields > New Castle County, Delaware
New Castle County, Delaware
New Castle County, Delaware is exceptional in that as a 2,000 square mile planning area, the County has the vision of both protecting natural resources and planning for more intense development that will support transit and sustainable community. They elected to implement a form-based code as a new Hamlets & Villages chapter within their existing Unified Development Code to empower the development of denser new towns.
