The official Site of the Philadelphia Zoning Code Commission

Zoning Code Commission Weighs in on Best Practices

July 8, 2009

The ZCC reacted to the best practices report, which summarizes successful zoning options from other cities in key areas of concern: approval procedures, sustainability, downtown zoning, form controls, parking, modular zoningi, and web-based codes. The report was designed to help the ZCC evaluate alternatives for Philadelphia. Members reiterated to consultants that the overarching goal of any changes to the code is to make zoning in Philadelphia more efficient. Commission members generally agreed with the proposed strategy identified in the report for each topic, although modular zoningi was removed from consideration for its complexity. The ZCC also wants consultants to:

  • Remove ambiguity in the regulations
  • Consider incentives with caution
  • Provide regulations that enhance accessibility to open space, community gardens, and urban agriculture.
  • Relate sustainable practices to issues residents care about – traffic congestion, parking, etc.
  • Consider reducing parking requirements to support the extensive and valuable public transit system in place.
  • Evaluate the impacts of curb cut restrictions for on and off-street parking.
  • Think about tax incentives to buy cars that may increase parking needs.
  • Discourage large surface parking lots.
  • Protect neighborhood character with form controls and contextual zoning measures.
  • Address the opportunities corners present.
  • Consider reutilizing the system developed for the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative that identified areas as stable, transitional, or distressed, in order to establish criteria for zoning.
  • Work hard on developing the objective criteria; effective regulations will reduce the need for variances.
  • Spend the most time and effort on reforming review and approval procedures – a fair and more efficient zoning system is the primary aim of the ZCC.
  • Develop a structure for the new code that is compatible with web-based zoning.

Public observers reminded consultants that the bulk of variancei requests are not for downtown development and to think about opportunities for form controls and contextual zoning in other areas of the city. They also asked if zoning could help make urban agriculture, community gardening, and green space more permanent. And they want the ZCC to address illegal building, look for opportunities to obviate corruption, and create a system with accountability.

Based on this input, the consultants will develop specific recommendations for the new zoning code, which will be presented to the ZCC at its September meeting. The final product is due August 2010.