Good Cities Great

摘要

As more young college graduates and elderly empty-nesters are drawn to urban centers for employment and active social and cultural lifestyles, retaining and preserving buildings, community legacy and open space also are becoming increasingly more important. How the size, shape, scope and use of structures interact in a city can make it a great place or just another town. When the formula comes together, the result can be desirable, green and provide a sense of community. Form-Based Codes (FBCs) are tools that can help planners get a leg up on encouraging the private sector to build great places that preserve open space, are sustainable, enhance cultural and historic resources and redevelop in-fill areas (see p. 18). Properly applied, FBCs produce lively streetscapes, delightful structures of appropriate size and scale, warm and welcoming facades and public places and transit- and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. They all work together. FBCs are not a top-down process, but rather encourage and require community participation in the planning process.