Changing Development Standards for Affordable Housing.
Author(s):
Mosena, David
Sanders, Welford
Publication Date:
10/1/1982
Sponsoring Organization(s):
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Washington, DC
Performing Organization(s):
American Planning Association Chicago, IL
Availability:
Available from American Planning Association, 1313 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637.
Notes:
Planning Advisory Service Report no. 371. Product of the Joint Venture for Affordable Housing. CP
Descriptors:
Local planning. Land use controls. Residential land uses. Public private cooperation. Affordable housing.
Abstract:
An American Planning Association nationwide survey and an indepth look at four diverse communities show the steps some communities have taken to make their residential standards more flexible and less restrictive. The 1981 survey identified 171 communities that had revised their development standards within the last 5 years. Based on these findings, the report explains how density and related lot dimensions were made less restrictive, how parking standards were relaxed, how street and sidewalk standards changed, and how these changes affected affordability. Tables break down the findings for about 22 local communities, showing both the former and revised standards in each category where changes occurred. The report takes a closer look at the contrasting revision process in four communities with different housing markets and political settings. Beaumont, Tex., and Salem, Oreg., are both medium - sized cities which totally revised their development standards in the face of intense controversy. Keene, N.H., a small town, successfully made changes in increments, and Dade County, Fla., an urban county, established an ongoing review and revision process to accomplish its goals. Their experiences illustrate the kind of public - private partnership efforts HUD's Joint Venture for Affordable Housing encourages. A statistical summary of survey results and lists of community contacts are included.
| 
